Two Chicago Fire Department rigs were damaged in separate crashes in a little over 24 hours this past weekend.
On Friday, at least one firefighter was injured after an engine crashed into a church on the city’s South Side Friday. Before dawn Sunday, a rig blocking a wrek scene was hit leaving a firefighter aboard hurt.
Firefighters' Union President Pat Cleary told WGN many of the city’s fire trucks are very old and pose a danger to firefighters.
“The rig is 20 years old. NFPA 1900 states that after 15 years of service, you should take it out of assigned status. You can put it in spare status for 25 years, so it is a 20-year spare,” Cleary said. “We currently have a 30-year spare, which should be completely out of service.”
Archbishop William Hudson III explained what happened: “The driver was trying not to hit a car. His brakes went out and he accidentally hit the building. The food pantry workers were all inside preparing the food for distribution, but they are all safe so thank God for that.”
Fire officials said the incident was under investigation.
A few months ago, officials said a fire truck lost its tire, damaging nearby cars. Cleary said upgrading the city’s fleet can keep everyone safe.
Early Sunday, a fire truck was hit as it protected Chicago fire and EMS crews working at a crash scene on Eisenhower Expressway.
The driver of the 2013 Nissan was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and issued citations for Move Over Law violations, according to Illinois State Police.
The firefighter who was behind the wheel suffered non-life-threatenting injuries, WGN reported.
