(Memphis) Bad brakes sent a Memphis fire truck across a parking lot and into a fence while flames ripped through a Midtown apartment complex Friday.
Fire Director Alvin Benson said the truck was inspected by the driver hours before, but there was nothing noticeably wrong with it.
He said the truck is a back-up. The newer engine was in the repair shop.
“It is an older piece. We have some equipment that dates back to the later 70s,” said Benson.
Benson said a hundred trucks are needed to serve Memphis, but they only get a couple of new trucks a year because of the cost. That’s why the older trucks have to be used.
“Certainly, we have an aging fleet. It’s worn out, beat down and over time responding to emergencies, it needs to be replaced,” said Joe Norman.
Norman is with the Memphis Fire Fighters Association.
He said the back-up fire trucks are past their shelf life — they are more than 30 years old with too many miles and are a disaster waiting to happen.
“What we have in reserve status is the best of the worst,” said Norman. “It is fortunate the fence was there. Otherwise, who knows what could have occurred.”
WARNING: Strong adult language is used in the video below. The fire truck crashes a little after the two-minute mark.
