An investigation into three separate instances of fire vehicles overturning has brought to light that many of the ladder and support trucks suffer chronic maintenance issues, and some may not even be safe to drive.
All three trucks involved in the accidents, two ladder trucks and a tender, were totaled.
In the accident that occurred on Jan. 16, firefighters were responding to a call at Barton Chapel Road when the driver of the aerial truck, firefighter Anthony Harris, attempted a turn from Washington Road to I-20 traveling at around 45 miles per hour, and the top-heavy vehicle tumbled over on its side.
However, the officer in charge, Capt. Richard Johnson, who was riding in the vehicle, told investigators that Harris was attempting to slow down when the brakes seized, according to an audio interview obtained by an open records request.
That particular vehicle had just been in the shop to have threadbare tires replaced and had been placed in reserve because of other maintenance issues.
According to Johnson, Harris was not speeding or attempting a risky maneuver.
“I told them we weren’t in a super-fire hurry, that we were going to be the last ones at the party,” Johnson said.
The investigation found the truck was traveling too fast, but did note that the braking system contributed to the accident.
The firefighters involved were all placed on leave with Johnson, a 29-year veteran, facing the worst of the discipline with being suspended for six days, rather than one day as the policy manual calls for.
While there may have been human error involved, other firefighters say that the trucks are terribly maintained.
“If the check engine light comes on and we take it to the shop, they say it’s okay and we get back in it,” Johnson told investigators.
According to Johnson, some of the vehicles do not even have proper functioning seat belts.
Another firefighter, who wished to be unnamed, agreed with Johnson and said that the trucks routinely lose the air pressure needed to properly operate the brakes and that the seats of some vehicles have caution tape on them.
The investigation into the tender truck accident on Jan. 31 found that the brakes on the truck failed.
According to the unnamed firefighter, the head of the maintenance shop, Mark Cooks, is not even a mechanic and routinely tries to cut corners, such as waiting on aftermarket parts that are on back order rather than simply buy the parts from the manufacturer for a few dollars more.
“He was hired by (former) Chief James because he was a friend of a friend, but he is not a mechanic. In our recent three-hour safety class, we were told that if the shop says the vehicle is okay, that we are not to question them,” the firefighter said.
Scott Hudson is the Senior Investigative Reporter and Editorial Page Editor for The Augusta Press. Reach him at scott@theaugustapress.com
