DEENA WINTER / Lincoln Journal Star | Posted: Wednesday, July 19, 2006 7:00 pm
A detailed inspection of five of the city’s new firetrucks uncovered 52 areas that are not what the city ordered, officials announced Wednesday.
The city ordered seven new firetrucks from Lincoln truck dealer EDM Equipment Co., and has received five so far. The other two are at EDM on West O Street.
But just seven months after the first truck hit the streets, they’ve ignited a firestorm of controversy.
Mayor Coleen Seng asked for Fire Chief Mike Spadt’s resignation nearly two weeks ago because she said the trucks don’t meet the city’s specifications, despite his repeated assurances that they do.
She also put Assistant Fire Chief John Huff on administrative leave pending an investigation by the city personnel director and Lincoln Police, who are being assisted by the FBI.
After Spadt resigned, Seng asked a team of four city employees to inspect the five trucks last week. They reported their findings to the City Council and Seng behind closed doors Wednesday.
Seng said the report validates her concerns.
“We’re all terribly disappointed in what has gone on,” she said during a press conference after the private briefing.
EDM President Jeff Mellen said he hadn’t had enough time to do more than a cursory review of the report, but it appears most of the alleged deviations were covered during a meeting at the Florida manufacturing plant before the trucks were built.
That’s when EDM and city officials clarified, for example, where stripes should be painted and light switches placed, and the city should have documentation proving that, he said.
“Nothing is of major concern to me at this point,” he said.
Some of the 52 alleged deviations are minor such as missing 2.5-pound fire extinguishers and four-ounce bottles of touch-up paint. Mellen said the extinguishers are at EDM and paint couldn’t be shipped on the trucks.
Assistant City Attorney Steve Huggenberger, who helped inspect the trucks last week, cited the following deviations as most serious:
* The trucks have double frames from the back to the front axle, about 67 inches short of the complete double frame ordered, which would be more sturdy and safe, Huggenberger said.
* The trucks only have four cross members, rather than the seven ordered.
“It was clear to us there were four,” Huggenberger said, even though “there are some in difficult places to see.” Mellen has previously said the trucks have seven, although some are tough to spot.
* Front axles have an incorrect weight load.
* The wheel base on the trucks is 200 inches; they were not to be more than 190 inches. That may make it difficult for trucks to make some corners, Huggenberger said. “They may have to back up and turn around.” Mellen disagreed, saying the wheel bases have a tighter turning radius.
* Hose discharges were smaller than ordered and smaller than indicated by markings on the trucks. “The smaller the pipe, the less water can come through,” Huggenberger said.
* The fire pumps are mounted directly on the frame rather than independently mounted.
The trucks were inspected by Spadt, Huff and fire maintenance employee Dennis Klein in Florida.
They were also to be checked out before the city accepted delivery from EDM. Spadt signed an “acceptance sheet” but did not indicate any of the items in question were not in compliance, Huggenberger said.
He said he didn’t know what Spadt did to examine the trucks.
“I have seen no check sheets,” he said.
Spadt declined to comment Wednesday.
The trucks were inspected closely for eight hours in Florida in December, Mellen said, and checked out again once they got to Lincoln.
Most of the problem areas could be corrected within a few months, Huggenberger said, but the frame and cross members would be “very difficult” to correct.
Huggenberger said the city’s specifications on frames and cross members were geared toward ensuring the new trucks’ frames won’t crack in time, as has happened with some of its old firetrucks, including old EDM trucks.
Do the alleged deviations create any safety issues with the trucks?
“Certainly they’re not unsafe at this moment,” Huggenberger said. “We’re probably talking 10 years before we see cracks.”
Mellen noted that the frame and cross members are covered by 100 percent lifetime warranties.
How unusual is it to have 52 potential unmet bid specs?
“Generally we do not accept deviations from any of the specs,” Huggenberger said.
Would the deviations enable the trucks to be made more cheaply? “I assume there’s some savings,” Huggenberger said.
Any changes to the specifications must be approved by Mayor Seng, and she did not approve change orders for any of the deviations, he noted.
City officials are expected to meet with EDM Friday to talk about the report and begin trying to reach an agreement on what to do, Huggenberger said.
“We haven’t decided whether we’re going to accept these trucks in the condition they’re in.”
Even though the city has already accepted delivery of five of the seven trucks, Huggenberger said the city could revoke acceptance because it was done based on “false information.”
Mellen said if city officials had invited EDM personnel to last week’s inspections, they could have cleared up some of the issues on the spot.
“It may have saved the city a lot of time and effort,” he said.
Reach Deena Winter at 473-2642 or dwinter@journalstar.com.