A crucial piece of equipment in the Butler City Fire Department is still broken and there’s no plan in place to repair it anytime soon.
Mayor Tom Donaldson said in an interview late last week that the city does not have the money to fix the department’s ladder truck.
“At this time, the city- to my knowledge- does not have the money to repair it or replace it,” Donaldson said.
In a letter addressed to city council in late July, the four captains of the city’s fire department said the absence of such a “crucial” piece of equipment has forced them to rely on aerial coverage from neighboring volunteer departments, which isn’t always reliable because of staffing shortfalls.
“This apparatus is crucial in the operation of this department and the safety of the citizens,” the letter reads. It was signed by fire department Captains Kevin McAfee, Ted Codispot, James Kaufman and Tom Fair.
In the letter to council, the captains also called the situation a “crisis” for the citizens of Butler City in the name of safety.
