Firefighters say when they get a call, every single second counts. But in Wichita, crews say years of under-funding have left some stations without the right equipment to respond safely.
Ted Bush with Wichita Firefighter Union Local 135, says the department’s fleet is dangerously outdated with no meaningful replacement plan in place. Siemens says that failure has already had real consequences when a special operations rescue apparatus broke down. The reserve assigned to replace it also failed with no replacement.
Bush says this problem has been building for years. He says some reserve engines are around 20 years old and breakdowns are becoming more common. The Union estimates it would take $10 million to $20 million just to get caught up…