A D.C. fire truck whose ladder became stuck during a three-alarm fire in September failed again last week, leaving Eastern Market without its services for 2 days.
The D.C. Fire and EMS Department (FEMS) lacked a replacement for Truck 7 as it was being repaired Thursday through Saturday, two department sources told The Washington Times.
The truck’s crew took it to the department’s repair shop after finding leaks in its hydraulic system, the sources said. But what should have been a 24-hour repair stretched into 72 hours when firefighters discovered that the hydraulic pressure was so high it could have triggered the ladder to extend while the truck was being driven.
Meanwhile, a van provided to the crew to drive back to the station broke down, the sources said.
Citing five FEMS sources, The Times first reported Monday that the fire department has lagged in purchasing new vehicles and has allowed a backlog of repair orders to grow.