New Hamphire Firefighters Say Vehicles Inspected Often
MANCHESTER, N.H. --
Fire departments across the region are examining their safety procedures after a Boston firefighter was killed when the ladder truck he was driving crashed into an apartment building.
Lt. Kevin Kelley was killed in Friday's crash. On Wednesday, 89 Manchester firefighters will drive to Boston to attend Kelley's funeral.
Officials suspect a brake problem led to the fatal crash, and Boston has pulled two trucks from service following inspections.
The Manchester Fire Department has 20 pieces of heavy equipment, and officials said they are constantly being inspected.
The crown jewel of the department is a 2006 aerial ladder truck that cost the city $850,000. It's made by E-ONE, the same company that made the truck involved in the Boston crash.
The Boston truck was much older than Manchester's, but Manchester has three trucks that are older than 20 years, which worries Chief James Burkush.
"The current age of our vehicles is 15 years old, but the Board of Aldermen has voted to replace the five oldest vehicles," Burkush said.
The 81,000-pound ladder truck is inspected by someone every day. The brakes were one of the many things inspected when a ladder truck collided with a car on Somerville Street in 2007. The state investigation determined the car was at fault and also noted that the Manchester Fire Department has good safety and record-keeping procedures.
Firefighters have a two-page checklist they go through at every shift change. Every three months, at a minimum, the trucks go to a maintenance shop for in-depth inspections.
Burkush said Manchester and Nashua both have their own facilities with highly trained mechanics.
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