Baltimore's Fire Department dealt with some tough assignments in the last year. With all of the cleanup from the riots and trying to restore the city after the huge snowstorm in January, they were due for an upgrade.
Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake was at the debut of three new vehicles for the department. The Hazmat trucks will help firefighters with chemical incidents, emergency weather situations and even terrorist attacks. The new units are also easier to maintain and are more fuel-efficient than the typical truck.
Assistant Fire Chief Mark Wagner said these new units will help first responders get a leg up on unpredictable situations.
"This new hazmat unit will improve the fire department's emergency preparedness and response capabilities," Wagner said. "We will be able to bridge the technological gap to better manage large-scale incidents and assure public safety."
The mayor went on to say these new units could be helpful for large-scale emergencies like the January storm.
