In a news release on Christmas Eve, the Houston Professional Firefighters Association (HPFFA) said that there were 17 engines and ladders that were out of commission by 12 p.m., due to staffing shortages or mechanical issues.
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"I am very concerned about the ability of our firefighters to respond to calls for service. It is a critical situation that places the safety of our firefighters and the citizens of Houston at risk. It is especially concerning considering that we are heading into the third night of record-freezing temperatures that have increased calls for service. There is no excuse for this happening," HPFFA President Patrick "Marty" Lancton said.
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Sunday afternoon, Houston Fire Department Deputy Chief Isaac Garcia said about 75 crew members responded to an apartment complex fire near Timmons and West Alabama in the Upper Kirby area. He estimated about 10 units were damaged, impacting 40 to 50 people. Luckily, no one was seriously injured. But the cause is still under investigation.
"It has been quite busy here lately. I found out that we were several hundred calls above normal yesterday (Friday). We're hitting that step. A lot has to do with alarms, water alarms going off, automatic alarms. As temperatures start to warm up, the water pressure is fluctuating primarily because of leaks that were being manifested," Garcia said when asked about their call volume.
In response to the fire union's news release, HFD Chief Sam Peña wrote in a statement that all fire stations are operational. As of Saturday, they have all 104 EMS units, plus 4 additional peak-time ambulances, all 88 engine/fire trucks, and 25 out of 38 ladder trucks in service.
"We appreciate all the firefighters working (Sunday), but staffing becomes even more challenging during the holidays when less personnel volunteer for overtime," Peña said.
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Firefighters said during this busy time for them, they advise the public to take extra steps to be fire safe.
- Watch your space heaters
- Don't use your stove or oven to keep war
- And of course, keep an eye out on that Christmas dinner if you're cooking for your family
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