By EMS1 Staff
HOUSTON — A fire department ambulance had to be pushed to safety from the highway after breaking down.
Click 2 Houston reported that Houston Fire Department Ambulance 80 became stuck in the main lane of a highway, and a fire truck had to push it out of the way of other vehicles.
“I drove out there to see what the issue was. We had mechanical issues. It’s no secret we’re dealing with an aging fleet, we’re advocating for resources,” Houston Fire Chief Sam Pena, said.
The incident is just one of several emergency vehicle issues that have occurred recently. The fire truck that moved the ambulance was a reserve truck, because the original engine was hit by a car a few weeks ago.
Another ambulance also broke down two weeks ago, and a few weeks before that, a ladder truck broke down in the middle of a road while responding to a call.
“While we understand things break, when it becomes the norm not the exception is when we realize the alarm needs to be sounded,” Firefighters Union president Patrick Lancton said.