In the midst of a serious heatwave, many Houston firefighters have had to operate out of trucks that lack air conditioning. This has prompted the firefighters union to demand the city repair its aging fleet, the Houston Chronicle reported.
Marty Lancton, president of the Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association, told Mayor Sylvester Turner in a letter this week to “dispense with the excuses and political rhetoric about what can or cannot be done.”
“In a city of Houston’s size and prominence, properly resourcing public safety, like other major U.S. cities do, should not just be optional,” Lancton wrote. “It should be a priority.”
Fire Chief Sam Pena said in a statement that the city has hired two contractors to help repair broken AC units on about two dozen firetrucks. The city has also bought more than 50 vehicles that include 24 ambulances and 18 engines as part of an “aggressive vehicle replacement strategy” during the past two years, Pena said.