MILWUAKEE — Milwaukee's Fire Department is confronting a critical safety issue as its fleet of fire engines, ladder trucks, and rescue vehicles ages past national safety recommendations, prompting city officials to consider an $8 million budget amendment for replacements.
Much of the city's fleet is aging past 15 years, exceeding national safety recommendations and creating dangerous situations for both firefighters and residents.
On Sunday, one truck went out of service due to a mechanical issue, leaving the Milwaukee Fire Department with just eight trucks across the entire city.
"Everything," said Eric Daun, president of the Milwaukee Professional Firefighters Association, when asked what equipment the department needs to update.
The department often relies on shared resources from neighboring communities to maintain adequate coverage across Milwaukee.
Watch: Milwaukee firefighters' union urges mayor to approve $8M to replace aging fire trucks as safety concerns mount
"I would hate to go back to that point where we're cutting heavy apparatus and delaying response times in a time where the community is calling us more and more," Daun said.
On Friday, the city's Finance and Personnel Committee approved an amendment that would allow the Milwaukee Fire Department $8 million in new borrowing to replace aging fire engines and other vehicles.
Alderman Peter Burgelis, who authored the amendment, described the severity of the situation.
"Those reserve engines are falling apart in the street on the way to calls for emergency service," Burgelis said.
When asked if this was acceptable for the state's largest fire department, Burgelis responded firmly.
"It's absolutely not acceptable; residents are incredibly concerned," he said. "People expect when you call 911 and you have a need for a firefighter to come help you, that someone is available and on the way. They don't expect you to get a flat tire or for a wheel to fall off on the way to 911 service."
As the amendment heads to the mayor's desk, a spokesperson for his office said "a reasonable accommodation is very likely to be reached" as the mayor balances "competing priorities and long-term impacts on city taxpayers."
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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