A maintenance and inspection program has sidelined seven ladder trucks in DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department's fleet.
The department conducted maintenance checks on 17 ladder trucks and only 10 passed. The department cited varying degrees of rust at the base of the ladder support, according to a statement from the department.
“These inspections are part of a preventive maintenance plan for vehicles within our fleet,” said Interim DCFEMS Chief Eugene A. Jones. “It’s important that the vehicles our employees rely on when they respond to an emergency are safe.”
The apparatus will remain out of service until the problems can be fixed.
Staffing will be increased on the available ladder trucks, which will be situated throughout the district to provide coverage.
The Montgomery and Prince George's county fire departments have agreed to support D.C. during the outage.
