On Nov. 20, 2013, the truck was in the parking lot of a nursing home near Covell Road and Kelly Avenue.  The truck was leaving after responding to a medical emergency when the passenger side tire popped out of place. 

“We immediately started looking into what caused the problem,” said Hall. 

The truck was towed to Edmond’s vehicle maintenance shop.  A city mechanic certified to work on the rig quickly found the flaw.  A suspension part failed, causing the wheel to come off.  The problem took the truck out of service for weeks. 

“Our fleet manager then started working with the manufacturer,” Hall said. 

The manufacturer sent replacement parts and covered the $7,000 repair bill.  Hall believes the problem could have been much worse.  The wheel could have come off while the truck was responding to an emergency, preventing it from getting there.  Or, it could have come off while they were driving down the road, causing an accident. 

Like all Edmond fire trucks, “Quint 3” is now inspected monthly. 

“We are watching this for any signs of wear or anything, any indicators that this could happen again,” Hall said. 

Rigs like “Quint 3” in Portland, Oregon and Milwaukee, Wisconsin also encountered the same problem.  In March, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration launched an investigation.  Pierce Manufacturing is recalling 135 fire trucks across the country to make sure no other trucks have the same problem.