January 12, 2009 Boston Fire pulls truck with brake problems

BOSTON (AP) - The first Boston Fire ladder truck to undergo mandatory inspections in the wake of a crash that killed a firefighter last week had a problem with its brakes and was taken out of service Monday.

Mechanics discovered a linkage problem in Ladder 14's brakes, and the problem should be repaired by Tuesday night, said Fire Department spokesman Steve MacDonald.

Fire Commissioner Roderick Fraser ordered a brake system inspection on the city's fire trucks after a ladder truck careened down a steep hill Friday and crashed into an apartment building. Lt. Kevin Kelly, who was in the passenger seat, died instantly and three other firefighters were injured.

Investigators believe brake failure may have caused the crash.

The truck pulled out of service Monday - Ladder 14 - is a 1992 E-One truck with a 110-foot ladder and four-door cab, the same type and make as the truck involved in Friday's crash, The Boston Globe reported on its Web site.

The Boston Firefighters Union has blamed the crash on department failure to replace aging trucks. A ladder truck also crashed into a parked car outside fire department headquarters Sunday morning.

No one was injured in that accident or in a Jan. 1 incident, when the driver of another ladder truck lost control and crashed into a fence.

Edward Kelly, president of Local 718, said he did not know what caused the accidents but their frequency concerned him.

The union has asked Gov. Deval Patrick

to order a state inspection, saying the danger to firefighters is too grave to ignore. Patrick said Monday he received a letter from the union and is prepared to work with city leaders to make sure the firefighters have the resources they need.

"We are here to help in any way that we can," Patrick told reporters outside his office Monday. "Obviously we share an interest as everyone does in the safety of the firefighters and the adequacy of the equipment."

The firefighters union did not immediately return calls for comment.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)