VOCM News has confirmed that the provincial government has given St. John’s Regional Fire Department two weeks to get its fire trucks at the Brookfield Road fire station inspected.
In a statement, the Department of Digital Government and Service NL says they received a complaint, which prompted a review of fire trucks at the station.
That review revealed that “a number of trucks” were overdue for an inspection.
Government says the Highway Traffic Act requires fire trucks to be inspected annually at an official inspection station, and it is the responsibility of the owner to make sure the inspections are done.
Proof of inspection must be kept inside the vehicle and presented at the request of an enforcement officer.
Government has given SJRFD two weeks to get the vehicles inspected, and has advised the fire department to review the inspection records of the remainder of their fleet to ensure they are up to date.
The province says they will work with St. John’s Regional to ensure the inspections are carried out in a way that doesn’t impact their operational requirements.
City Responds to Concerns
The city of St. John’s says they are working with the province to resolve any issues identified with its fleet of fire trucks.
In a statement, the city says senior leadership with St. John’s regional identified a “gap in compliance” with provincial regulations.
They stress that the city has a preventative maintenance program with its vehicles to ensure they are safe and operational. This includes spare equipment that can be put out should a vehicle not be available.
The city says to ensure operational requirements are maintained and to manage timelines to complete external inspections, the SJRFD has decided to have all up-to-date inspection certificates by the end of the year.
The city has 22 heavy-duty fire apparatus, six of those are waiting on inspections.