Ashland Fire Department is seeking a funding response for the department’s 23-year-old aerial ladder truck, WOWT.com reported.
During 35-mph winds the ladder is very unstable, a fire official said. The new ladder trucks rate around 50-mph, the report said.
If you get a gust of wind (the 23-year-old ladder truck) is going to sway, according to the report. One Ashland firefighter said climbing the ladder adds to the anxiety of fighting a fire, the report said.
The fire official said the older truck’s water pump doesn’t pass certification inspection, and oil and water leak on the rig making rebuilding the 1999 aerial a waste of taxpayer money, the report said.
The estimated cost of a new aerial ladder rig is $1.7 million, the report said.
