A Maricopa Fire and Medical Department ladder truck damaged in a Nov. 5 crash is bringing with it a hefty price tag to fix or replace.
InMaricopa first reported the incident after it came up in a Dec. 8 public meeting.
Here is what the city is saying about the wreck: The fire truck was coming back from training in Chandler on a Wednesday afternoon when it was hit by an oncoming pickup.
Ladder 574 was traveling westbound on Casa Blanca Road at about 4:30 p.m. when a pickup crossed the center lane and into the truck’s path. The fire truck’s driver swerved far enough to avoid a head-on crash, but the pickup struck the fire truck just behind the passenger cab, said department spokesperson Monica Williams.
A DUI investigation was conducted by the Gila River Police Department. Additional details about the crash and investigation are coming from that department. InMaricopa reached out to learn more specifics about the case.
A Maricopa Fire spokesperson has said the fire truck driver was not at fault in the crash.
One Maricopa firefighter was taken to a hospital by ambulance and later released, officials said. Two other firefighters sustained minor injuries and were checked out at the hospital.
The city is working with its insurance provider and Pierce, the truck’s manufacturer, to figure out the extent of the damage and whether the truck can be fixed, officials said. Minutes from the December meeting state it was “totaled.” The other option is a whole new truck. The city wants to prevent operational impacts that a damaged truck might cause, citing a fire truck backlog, which is affecting fire departments nationwide.
“This is a crisis,” said U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) in a September hearing about the backlog.
City Manager Ben Bitter told the city council that replacements can take three to five years to build and typically cost $2.5 million to $3 million.
A quote discussed in that reporting proposed a demo E-One Typhoon 100-foot platform truck with an estimated September delivery for $2,461,592, including tax.
