Several Atlanta fire trucks out of service, and it could be next year before they’re back

ATLANTA — Channel 2 Action News has exclusively learned that a large number of fire trucks in the city of Atlanta are out of service.

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Channel 2′s Dave Huddleston spoke with city councilman Dustin Hillis about why this is happening.

“This is an issue that has to be corrected and it affects us all in our most dire need,” Hillis said.

Channel 2 learned Monday that 14 of the city’s 45 fire trucks and engines, not counting the airport, were out of service. On Tuesday, 10 were out of commission.

“That is egregious; it’s a public safety issue that we need to solve and we’re working hard to do that,” Hills told Huddleston.

Huddleston was told some of the out of service trucks need repairs and supply chain issues may be causing some of the problems. Others are old with more than 100,000 miles.

Hillis, chairman of the city’s public safety committee, told Huddleston he is working with the mayor’s office to buy new fire trucks.

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Hillis sent city council paperwork to buy three fire engines, but that doesn’t solve the problem because, “you can’t just walk on like you can a dealer lot to buy a car.”

It could take 12 to 18 months to get new trucks. Atlanta Fire and Rescue said they are committed to keeping people safe saying:

“The Atlanta Fire Rescue Department is working closely with Fleet Services to repair any out-of-service equipment. In fact, three of these vehicles are already scheduled for release today.

All remaining fire equipment are in-service and are operating efficiently to effectively respond to incidents throughout the city.

Our system is designed with redundancy to ensure that when we have equipment out-of-service, we can supplement with equipment from other nearby stations.

Like other municipalities across the nation, global supply-chain delays remain a challenge.

However, AFRD has procured five new apparatus and is in the process of purchasing additional equipment to further meet the city’s needs.

AFRD stands firm in our commitment to providing the best-in-class service to residents and the business community in Atlanta.”

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