HOUSTON – The head of the Houston Professional Fire Firefighters Association reported that many fire trucks were out of service on Christmas Eve due to staffing shortages or mechanical issues, but the city of Houston’s fire chief said that is definitely not the case.
“As of noon, 17 engines and ladders were out of commission,” said HPFFA President Patrick M. “Marty” Lancton. “I am very concerned about the ability of our firefighters to respond to calls for service. It is a critical situation that places the safety of our firefighters and the citizens of Houston at risk. It is especially concerning considering that we are heading into the third night of record-freezing temperatures that have increased calls for service. There is no excuse for this happening.”
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According to HPFFA, the following were out of service:
- Engine 1
- Engine 26
- Engine 60
- Engine 68
- Ladder 16
- Ladder 21
- Ladder 26
- Ladder 28
- Ladder 34
- Ladder 38
- Ladder 51
- Ladder 55
- Ladder 59
- Ladder 68
- Ladder 69
- Ladder 90
- Ladder 102
Fire Chief Samuel Peña denied Lancton’s claims and reported that everything was operational on Saturday. A statement was sent to KPRC 2 after the station reached out for response.
“We appreciate all the firefighters working today, but staffing becomes even more challenging during the holidays when less personnel volunteer for overtime,” Peña said. “Today, we have all 104 EMS units, plus four additional peak-time ambulances, all 88 engine/fire trucks, and 25 of the 38 ladder trucks in service. All fire stations are operational.”
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