Firefighter injured as Chicago fire truck crashes into church; union blames old equipment

CHICAGO – At least one firefighter was injured after a Chicago fire truck crashed into a church on the city’s South Side Friday, and the Chicago Firefighter’s Union said decades-old equipment is to blame.

Surveillance video showed the moment the crash happened on the corner of South Morgan and West 103 Street. Crews spent Friday afternoon boarding up parts of Powerhouse Church that were damaged.

“The driver was trying not to hit a car. His brakes went out and he accidentally hit the building,” said William Hudson III, archbishop of Powerhouse Chicago. “The food pantry workers were all inside preparing the food for distribution, but they are all safe so thank God for that.”

According to the Chicago Firefighter’s Union, five firefighters were inside the fire truck when the crash happened. Union President Pat Cleary said many of the city’s fire trucks are very old and pose a danger to firefighters.

“The rig is 20 years old. NFPA 1900 states that after 15 years of service, you should take it out of assigned status. You can put it in spare status for 25 years, so it is a 20-year spare,” Cleary said. “We currently have a 30-year spare, which should be completely out of service.”

This isn’t the first time something like this has happened. A few months ago, officials said a fire truck lost its tire, damaging nearby cars. Cleary said upgrading the city’s fleet can keep everyone safe.

“They can go downstate to request money or they can go to the federal government to get money. I mean, someone’s not doing their job,” Clearly said.

WGN News has reached out to the Chicago Fire Department for more information about the crash and the fire truck involved and was told the fire department is currently investigating the incident.