PITTSBURGH \u2014 While Pittsburgh City Council debates a 30% tax hike to deal with a potential financial crisis, 11 Investigates discovered that two specialty fire trucks purchased for more than $500,000 have yet to be put into action. <\/p>\n
The city purchased the trucks more than five years ago, and they\u2019ve been sitting idle. <\/p>\n
The city said there are safety issues with both vehicles. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe have two that by previous fire staff were poorly spec\u2019d, and there are safety concerns on using them,\u201d said Chief Procurement Officer Jennifer Olzinger during a recent city council budget hearing.<\/p>\n
Olzinger said the issues involve the foam shifting while driving and heat coming from the trucks. <\/p>\n
\u201cSome sort of heater or something that comes right at the people as they are walking up. That needs moved, and the weight of where the foam sits is kind of improperly balanced,\u201d Olzinger said.<\/p>\n
Sources also tell 11 Investigates that the piping that came with the truck does not fit the city\u2019s equipment.<\/p>\n
The city purchased the trucks for $300,000 each and even tested them out at the fire academy.<\/p>\n
Earle obtained cell phone video of one of the trucks shooting out foam.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy concern is we used tax dollars to buy them, and we\u2019re essentially wasting it if it can\u2019t work,\u201d said Councilmember Bobby Wilson.<\/p>\n
If there were issues with the trucks, Councilman Wilson wants to know why the city didn\u2019t return them immediately.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe really need to be holding these manufacturers accountable, so I have to look into that further, why we just didn\u2019t ask the manufacturer to replace it,\u201d Wilson said.<\/p>\n
Some city fire trucks already carry a small amount of foam, and foam trailers are available through the Region 13 Emergency Task Force, but the city bought these specialty trucks to use in case of a fire involving tanker trucks or railroad tankers.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s important that we have equipment like that up and running. It\u2019s like they got lost in the fray,\u201d Wilson said.<\/p>\n
Earle said it\u2019s unclear who dropped the ball on this. He reached out to the Public Safety Department multiple times over the past couple of months and has yet to hear back.<\/p>\n
In addition to those safety issues that need to be corrected before the trucks hit the streets, the city will also have to change to the new environmentally-friendly foam.<\/p>\n
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