Posted on 12/07/22
| News Source: WBAL
Baltimore, MD - Dec. 7, 2022 - Baltimore City Fire Union and Department officials are sounding the alarm about an aging fleet and the agency's readiness to respond to emergencies.
Those concerns were raised Wednesday at a city council committee hearing called to get a status report on fire equipment and personnel. Fire department officials described an antiquated purchasing system. They cited a chronic lack of funds and ongoing supply chain problems as reasons for concern.
Looks can be deceiving according to Baltimore City's Fire Union. The two-alarm fire Wednesday on South Monroe Street prompted a rapid response by multiple trucks, firefighters and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) crews.
But union officials point out, there is an overall shortage of vehicles. Five ladder truck companies for example are currently out of service.
"Their primary responsibility on the fire ground is life safety. Searching for trapped victims," Josh Fannen, the president of the International Association of Fire Fighters local 964 union, said.
"These apparatuses not on the road today is a safety issue. It's a safety for our members. It's a safety for the citizens of Baltimore," Rich Langford, the president of the Fire Union Local 734, said.
Department officials said vehicle funding was dramatically cut in 2014 and the budget has not increased since. Even if the money was available, COVID-19 and supply chain issues delay delivery time from nine months to two years and in some cases even longer.