Some D.C. firefighters have been using their own money to buy auto parts and perform minor repairs on their vehicles themselves at their stations to avoid lengthy delays and shoddy workmanship at the fire department’s garage, five department sources have told The Washington Times. The station repairs violate D.C. Fire and EMS Department policy, and the firefighters could face disciplinary action for their maintenance efforts. But they say the alternative is to continue driving malfunctioning trucks and engines. Or to be assigned a faulty reserve vehicle while they wait days for repairs, only to find that their own vehicles have been improperly serviced when they return from the fleet maintenance facility. The Times found that firefighters have been making their own repairs after reporting earlier this month that the fire department has lagged in purchasing new vehicles and has allowed repair orders to pile up at the fleet maintenance facility in Southwest.