A fire truck that lost a wheel on its way to an emergency Oct. 27 exemplifies the dangers of Milwaukee’s aging firefighting equipment, according to Fire Chief Aaron Lipski.
The ladder truck that lost a wheel was a 20-year-old reserve truck already serving on the front line, Lipski said. The National Fire Protection Association recommends that fire trucks operate regularly no more than 15 years. It covered the city’s near north and south sides, as well as downtown.
Lipski said unless a suburban fire department can provide him a spare ladder truck, the city will be down one from its front line, resulting in longer response times.
“This is terrifying for me,” Lipski told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “We know we’re in tough times. We know the city has limited funds. But today, now, I am leading the fire department, and I need to be honest about what we need.”
The incident is the latest in a brewing conflict between the city’s fire department and mayor’s office over the money that Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson allocated for repairs to the equipment in his proposed 2026 budget. The budget, which will be finalized in November, allocates $2 million for repairs. Lipski contends close to $14 million is needed.
The city owns 13 ladder trucks, Lipski told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Eight are regularly used for calls, known as front-line duty, Lipski said, while the remaining five are used as reserves should a front-line truck fail. Three of the reserves recently failed safety tests due to major structural issues.
The Milwaukee Professional Firefighters’ Association has also criticized Johnson’s budget proposal.
Milwaukee Alderman Peter Burgelis, vice chairman of both the city’s Finance and Personnel Committee and the Public Safety and Health Committee, has said the fire department needs at least eight fire engines and six ladder trucks to be replaced across 2026 and 2027, at an estimated total cost of around $27.8 million for the two years.
Jeff Fleming, Johnson’s spokesperson, said discussions are underway between the mayor and the Milwaukee Common Council as they finalize the 2026 city budget.
“The administration is open to budget modifications regarding additional investments in firefighting equipment,” Fleming said in a statement.
David Clarey of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Fire truck that lost wheel shows dangers of Milwaukee’s aging fire equipment, chief says
Reporting by Madeline Heim and Kelli Arseneau, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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