The D.C. Council is considering a bill to allow some fire stations to have a few special permit parking placards.
Firefighters at some stations find too few legal parking spots to accommodate them and struggle to avoid parking tickets.
Capt. Nicole Liriano, a 12-year member of the fire department and native Washingtonian, now drives in from the suburbs in Maryland to the station at 13th and K streets downtown. Sometimes they wait outside the station for parking enforcement and beg not to be ticketed.
Many post signs in their vehicles pleading with ticket writers to go easy on them.
The fire union said it’s aware neighbors have trouble parking, too.
“We don't want to encroach on neighborhood parking if at all possible,” said Ed Smith, of the firefighters union.
A public hearing on permit parking has not yet been scheduled.
