Trending Topics

Brake failure may have caused DC rig collision with cruiser

Firefighters on the rig reported an air leak issue with the brakes, but officials are unsure if that issue caused the accident

WASHINGTON — Fire officials are looking into a possible brake issue after a D.C. fire truck collided with a police cruiser Monday afternoon.

Daily Caller reported that the fire truck was responding to a fire call when a car drove in front of the rig, forcing it to swerve and hit a parked police car. The crash is under investigation after firefighters said they had previously complained about brake problems.

Ed Smith, president of the union, said firefighters on that truck reported an air leak issue with the truck’s brakes but he was unsure if that issue played a role in the crash.

“That’s initially what we are hearing over here, but we have to wait until the investigation is completed to find out exactly what happened,” Smith said. “For firefighter safety and citizen safety, we have to get to the bottom of it.”

Maintenance issues have been a major problem for the D.C. fire department this year, with less than half of its fleet certified for use. During a city council hearing in April, then interim chief Edward Mills said that 29 of the city’s 63 pump trucks are certified for use and only 11 of the city’s 26 ladder trucks are certified.

Mills also had said that preventive maintenance is carried out by only one mechanic who travels among the city’s 33 fire stations.

Gregory Dean was named D.C.'s fire chief in July.

The number of ambulances out of service has long plagued the city. On Tuesday, D.C. officials enacted an emergency legislation that will see the city contract with private ambulance companies to handle some emergency calls and take the strain off the city’s deficient fleet.

RECOMMENDED FOR YOU