Baltimore’s firefighting vehicle fleet is depleted; council members want a plan to fix it

In a city stacked with vacant rowhouses that are fire hazards waiting to erupt, the Baltimore City Fire Department’s vehicle fleet isn’t exactly ready for the challenge. That was the message that the city’s two firefighter union presidents sent to City Council members during a public safety committee hearing on Wednesday to discuss the department’s shortage of firefighting vehicles and mechanics to keep the fleet up and running. The challenges date back to 2009 following the Great Recession, when the city pulled back on its fleet purchases due to financial concerns.