While President Trump was in Houston earlier this week, a fire department ambulance assigned to the presidential motorcade overheated and was taken out of service.
According to local television station KPRC, the medic unit, an advanced life support ambulance, was one of two assigned to the motorcade and that it was quickly replaced without incident.
Houston Fire Chief Sam Pena told the television station the broken down ambulance did not cause any delays or interfere with the motorcade and there was no affects to the service the city was expected to provide.
The television station also reported that the disabled ambulance is just one of many equipment problems the fire department has been dealing with lately. KPRC said during its investigation, the station learned that as many as 50 of the city’s ladders and engines have faulty air conditioning system just as the summer heat begins to bake Houston.
A firefighter who did not want to be identified, said the air coming out of the vents is 90 degrees and with firefighters in full turnout gear, temperatures can exceed 110 degrees.
The Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association told the television station that can be a serious health issue as firefighters are heat fatigue before doing any work at a scene.
Houston’s mayor, Sylvester Turner, said it’s normal to have some equipment in a fleet that needs repairs.
“I have a great deal of confidence in the city’s preparation,” Turner said, adding that malfunctioning vehicles doesn’t mean the fleet isn’t capable of protecting the city.
