BOSTON --
The Boston Fire Department has hired a safety manager to oversee the maintenance of its trucks and vehicles, weeks after a report deemed the departments maintenance program a failure and called for drastic reforms in equipment oversight.
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Fire Department spokesman Steve MacDonald said in an e-mail Friday that the city has hired a fleet safety coordinator who is scheduled to begin work on Monday. MacDonald did not say who had been tasked to fill the new position. The city also selected a fleet maintenance manager, set to start work next week, who will share responsibility for ensuring city fire vehicles are properly maintained.
A report released in March gave the city's fire truck mechanics and supervisors a failing grade, saying mechanics and supervisors do not know the most simple manufacturer's recommendations, like when to do oil changes. The report also said firefighters do not receive any driver training at the Fire Academy.
The department came under scrutiny in January after a veteran firefighter was killed when the brakes on a ladder truck he was riding in gave way and the truck careened into an apartment complex on Huntington Avenue.
MacDonald said that the department has also developed a daily safety checklist for fire companies to follow and has created a new driver training course for fire fighters.
Despite the new hires, the fire department has still not met several recommendations laid out in the report that officials had aimed to have in place by June 6, including implementing standard vehicle inspection procedures and preventative maintenance programs. MacDonald said that consultants will begin work on the projects once the bidding process concludes. He said that he expects the new safety measures to be in place by the June 6 goal.
