Detroit’s Dangerously Tired Rigs

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in Administration & Leadership, morning lineup, Urban Commander, Vehicle Operations & Apparatus1 day ago 0

Last month, Engine 56’s crew was driving their rig from the shop after the alternator had been replaced when a loose fan spun off and ripped a hole in the radiator. Mechanics neglected to tighten all of the parts, and Engine 56 was stuck alongside the road for the second time in three days in need of a tow.

But it was stranded because the city’s tow truck broke down.

Steve Neavling, who is closely following the Detroit Fire Department, posted the first of a series of articles on the firefighting fleet.

You need to read all of ‘Rolling the dice:’ Detroit routinely sends dangerously defective rigs to fires. that was published July 30th.

The city responded, in an August 7th article: Numerous fire engines & trucks break down after Mayor Duggan denies problems. Neavling piles on:

In the week since Duggan’s administration denied problems with the fleet, at least eight fire engines, ladder trucks and rescue squads malfunctioned en route to emergencies or on the scene, causing fires to burn longer and cause more damage. Dispatchers also sent numerous defective rigs to fires because so much of the fleet is malfunctioning.

Neavling quotes from a March 2015 Tri-Data report:

The experts from Tri-data concluded that the fire department was the worst managed group it ever studied. “Years of neglect and mismanagement have resulted in a situation where the fire department struggles every day to complete its mission,”

How do you reverse that situation?