CINCINNATI (WXIX) – Cincinnati Fire Engine 5 on the Rhine was out of service for nearly 12 hours this week, leaving the area with a lack of available fire trucks.

While it’s not uncommon for a fire truck to break down, Cincinnati Firefighters Union Local 48 President Joe Elliott says it’s the truck that’s been out of service the longest .

“Unfortunately, it broke down in the middle of the night. They were out of commission for about 12 hours,” Elliott told FOX19 NOW. “Unfortunately, we didn’t have a spare for them to change into, and we didn’t have a night mechanic either.”

Elliott says fire departments don’t have their own mechanics and they can be hard to find.

“It’s very technical. To work on fire trucks, you must have certain certifications. You must be a diesel mechanic, and you must have other certifications to work on these fire trucks. And right now, we just can’t find enough workers willing to do this work.

Although Engine 5 is repaired and ready to go, Elliott says he fears something similar could happen again due to the trucks’ age.

“I think we have some ladder trucks that date back to 1999 and some engines as old as 2003, so we definitely have an aging fleet,” he explained. “Again, we are working with the city administration to purchase new vehicles, but probably over the last three or four years the cost of purchasing new fire apparatus has probably increased by about 30 or 40 to hundred.”

The veteran firefighter says the increase makes it difficult for departments to budget and it can take years to get a new fire truck due to a lack of workers.

The fire department recently ordered two trucks but won’t see them for a while.

“We’re going to receive these two engines in December 25 and January 26, and receive our last truck that we will have on order until December 26,” he said.

Elliott adds that he has been in contact with the city manager’s office and has had productive conversations about how to resolve the issues.

FOX19 NOW has reached out to the city manager’s office for comment.

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