Roanoke running out of Ladder Trucks?

Today, the Roanoke Fire-EMS Department is operating with 2 of 4 ladder trucks. That is right folks. The entire Southside of the City is left without ladder trucks. Currently, when operable the City has:

Ladder 1 – 100′ ladder
Ladder 2 – 95′ platform
Ladder 7 – 75′ ladder
Ladder 13 – 75′ ladder
Reserve Ladder – 121′ ladder

Today, we have:

Ladder 13 – in service with the reserve ladder
Ladder 2 in service.

But what about the other two ladder companies? Well Ladder 1′s crew is operating on the HTR truck (no ladders on it at all). Ladder 7 is operating with a reserve engine company (a 12′roof/straight ladder and a 24′ extension ladder).

You tell me what is wrong. Since I get a lot of the “why are you bringing that up” mentality, I will tell you why. Because we are unprepared going to work like this. AND, the people we protect are unprotected. How many people right now are above the second floor working in an office in Downtown Roanoke?

I don’t see how purchasing those 75′ quints that are always out of service is any different than Alfred Dowe squandering away City dollars. Both of those 75′ ladders are out of service right now and they are only 10 years old. What a waste.

But what the hell do the firefighters know? They don’t run the department. They don’t twist the statistics. They just merely risk their lives for yours.

I wish that the Chiefs downtown would really hear what the firefighters think and say about the state of our department. I wish that our firefighters didn’t feel so threatened of retaliation and were able to speak out and ask the questions.