AUSTIN, Texas — Some Austin Fire Department (AFD) trucks are currently running without air conditioning capacities, even as Central Texas deals with grueling summer heat.
According to the Fleet Operations Department, 21 of AFD's 250 fire vehicles don't have working air conditioning but are still being used to respond to fires.
The Fleet Department said some trucks have been without air conditioning for two weeks or longer.
Bob Nicks, president of the Austin Fire Association, said firefighters' gear can weigh upward of 100 pounds. He compared wearing fire gear to wearing a snow suit, reiterating the need for working air conditioning in the trucks.
"Air conditioning is not out of the question when its 105 degrees out. There is just no excuse for it," Nicks said. "It’s very important that we can keep the firefighters as cool as possible before they get to a call, and also [have] a place they can cool off after they get out of the call."
Mechanics with the Fleet Department are notified by the AFD to fix the trucks. The department is working on the trucks two at a time.
"The defect can be a condenser fan or a compressor, and so forth. Once we troubleshoot, that determines the length of the time the vehicle will be down, and of course, availability for parts [matters] as well," said Joe Dixon, assistant director of fleet operations.
Dixon said he hopes they can have all of the trucks fixed within a month. Nicks said he is glad the issue is being addressed.
"I am glad that it seems like it will all be fixed soon,” Dixon said.
In a memo on Monday, July 24, Councilmember Mackenzie Kelly called for the immediate fix of the trucks that do not have A/C.