Seven D.C. Fire Ladder Trucks Fail Inspection

Seven D.C. Fire ladder trucks failed inspection and have been removed from service, News4's Mark Segraves reported.

Ten of the 17 ladder trucks inspected passed and will rotate duty to provide coverage across the city. Fire officials say the trucks that did not pass inspection showed "varying degrees of rust at the base of the ladder support."

“These inspections are part of a preventive maintenance plan for vehicles within our fleet,” said Interim DCFEMS Chief Eugene A. Jones. “It’s important that the vehicles our employees rely on when they respond to an emergency are safe.”

Union officials said the inspections of the trucks were overdue. Last year, the department was plagued by ambulances breaking down and even catching fire. The department added 30 new ambulances since then, but union officials also warned about problems with the rest of the fleet at that time.

"This is a problem that’s been building for years," said Local 36 IAFF President Ed Smith. "We’ve been very vocal about the state of the fleet and the need to buy new apparatus and maintain what we have, and it’s all coming home to roost."

These ladder trucks can operate at heights ranging from 15 feet to 135 feet and are "used for rescues and heavy water streams."

The trucks that failed inspection will be put back into service once they are fixed.