DOWNTOWN PITTSBURGH NOW WITH THE LATEST. TWO MAJOR DONATIONS RECENTLY MADE TO THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH. AND NOW THE DISCUSSION HAS STARTED AS TO HOW EXACTLY THOSE MILLIONS WILL BE SPENT. UPMC S $10 MILLION GIFT INTENDED FOR AMBULANCES AND NCS. $2 MILLION GIFT FOR SNOWPLOWS. WE’RE RELIEVED. YOU KNOW, THERE’S STILL A LONG WAY TO GO WHEN IT COMES TO OUR VEHICLES AND OUR FLEETS ALL ACROSS EVERY DEPARTMENT, BUT THIS IS A GOOD STEP FORWARD. MEMBERS OF SEVERAL CITY DEPARTMENTS THAT MAKE UP THE L. A THAT’S THE EQUIPMENT LEASING AUTHORITY MEETING TODAY TO FOCUS ON UPMC S $10 MILLION DONATION, WHICH WILL BE SPENT OVER TWO YEARS. THE COMMITTEE DISCUSSED SPENDING THAT FIRST ROUND OF 5 MILLION ON EIGHT ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT AMBULANCES, WHICH ARE USED IN MORE CRITICAL CASES AND COME AT A HIGHER COST, AND TWO BASIC LIFE SUPPORT AMBULANCES AND ONE RESCUE TRUCK. THE REMAINING 5 MILLION WILL BE SPENT ON ADDITIONAL AMBULANCE EQUIPMENT NEEDS IN 2027. THOSE DONATIONS ALLOWING THE CITY TO STRETCH ITS BUDGET FURTHER IN REGARD TO THE FLEET CITY CONTROLLER RACHEL HEISLER EXPRESSED OTHER FLEET NEEDS, SAYING 50% OF THE CITY’S FIRE APPARATUS HAVE EXCEEDED ITS LIFESPAN. AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE HAVEN’T FORGOTTEN ABOUT OUR FIRE TRUCKS AND WE HAVEN’T FORGOTTEN ABOUT OUR LADDER TRUCKS, AND THAT OUR OUR FIREFIGHTERS HAVE ACCESS TO THOSE TWO NEW, NEW, NEW VEHICLES. AND THAT WHEN THEY’RE RESPONDING TO AN EMERGENCY THAT THEY HAVE ACCESS TO NEW VEHICLES AS WELL. AND THAT ISN’T BEING FORGOTTEN IN THIS DISCUSSION, I’M TOLD THE NEXT MEETING WILL FOCUS ON FINALIZING THE ORDER FOR SNOWPLOW
Pittsburgh city leaders discuss how donation money will be spent on emergency vehicle fleet
Updated: 7:41 PM EST Feb 6, 2026
Pittsburgh’s Equipment Leasing Authority met Friday to finalize plans for spending donations from UPMC and the PNC Foundation on new ambulances and plow trucks, while also discussing the need for investment in fire apparatus. UPMC’s $10 million donation will be spent over two years, with the first $5 million allocated for eight advanced life support ambulances, two basic life support ambulances, and one rescue truck. The remaining $5 million will be spent on additional ambulance equipment needs in 2027. “We’re relieved. There’s still a long way to go when it comes to our vehicles and our fleets all across every department, but this is a good step forward,” Mayor Corey O’Connor said. “We know that there are many priorities of the city of Pittsburgh right now when it comes to their fleet, but I think right after they’ve made these recent purchases, fire should be at the top of the list,” said Ralph Sicuro, president of the Pittsburgh Fire Fighters union. “Every firefighter wants to do their job. We can’t do it without the vehicles to get us there.””We need to make sure we haven’t forgotten about our fire trucks, and we haven’t forgotten about our ladder trucks, and that our firefighters have access to new vehicles, and that when they’re responding to an emergency, that they have access to new vehicles as well, and that that isn’t being forgotten in this discussion,” City Controller Rachael Heisler said.The next Equipment Leasing Authority meeting will focus on finalizing the order for plow trucks, which have a shorter turnaround time compared to ambulances.
PITTSBURGH —
Pittsburgh’s Equipment Leasing Authority met Friday to finalize plans for spending donations from UPMC and the PNC Foundation on new ambulances and plow trucks, while also discussing the need for investment in fire apparatus.
UPMC’s $10 million donation will be spent over two years, with the first $5 million allocated for eight advanced life support ambulances, two basic life support ambulances, and one rescue truck. The remaining $5 million will be spent on additional ambulance equipment needs in 2027.
“We’re relieved. There’s still a long way to go when it comes to our vehicles and our fleets all across every department, but this is a good step forward,” Mayor Corey O’Connor said.
“We know that there are many priorities of the city of Pittsburgh right now when it comes to their fleet, but I think right after they’ve made these recent purchases, fire should be at the top of the list,” said Ralph Sicuro, president of the Pittsburgh Fire Fighters union. “Every firefighter wants to do their job. We can’t do it without the vehicles to get us there.”
“We need to make sure we haven’t forgotten about our fire trucks, and we haven’t forgotten about our ladder trucks, and that our firefighters have access to new vehicles, and that when they’re responding to an emergency, that they have access to new vehicles as well, and that that isn’t being forgotten in this discussion,” City Controller Rachael Heisler said.
The next Equipment Leasing Authority meeting will focus on finalizing the order for plow trucks, which have a shorter turnaround time compared to ambulances.