PITTSBURGH — For months, 11 Investigates has shared information about the state of Pittsburgh’s aging ambulance fleet.
Chief Investigator Rick Earle learned new details about an ambulance that broke down over the weekend.
The ambulance was leaving Allegheny General Hospital on the North side when it suddenly broke down in the middle of the road.
11 Investigates learned that it was one of the bureau’s older spare units.
The rear axle snapped and the wheel collapsed.
Paramedic Union President Jon Atkinson said he’s not surprised.
“They’re the old front-line units. So that’s their first step on the way to being decommissioned. So they’re high mileage. They’ve been road hard for a number of years and they’re just not in great shape,” Atkinson said.
Sources tell 11 Investigates no patients were on board at the time and the crew that was in the unit transferred into another ambulance and there was no delay in services.
The broken ambulance was towed to the city garage for repairs and just four months ago, at a special city council meeting on the state of public safety vehicles, EMS officials sounded the alarm.
“From May 2025, if you were going by mileage, they’d be over 300 thousand miles, multiple of them, so they are on their last legs,” said EMS Deputy Chief Jeff Treme.
11 Investigates broke the story earlier this week that two ambulances approved for purchase two years ago and another one earlier this year still haven’t been ordered.
The deputy mayor said there were delays over design specifications and the bids were just put out in early August after 11 Investigates began asking questions.
Councilman Bobby Wilson, who was told at that meeting in May that they were already out for bid, was surprised to learn they weren’t.
“It should be going out to bid as soon as we can, and you know if there are issues, then we should all be working together to figure out how we can expedite that process,” said Wilson.
Once all that’s done, he says it will then take another 12 to 14 months before relief is on the way and those new ambulances are finally delivered.
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