PHOENIX — With extreme heat gripping Phoenix this month, the Phoenix Fire Department is getting plenty of emergency calls. But fire trucks and ambulances can only respond if they're operational, making the department's mechanics some of the most crucial first responders most people never hear about.
Every hour that a vehicle is off the streets means one less tool the department has to help save lives. Inside the department's repair shop, every second counts as heavy equipment mechanics from the Public Works Department work to keep the fleet running.
"We are super busy... With the heat comes the problems," said Bruce Jefferson, a heavy equipment mechanic.
The Phoenix Fire Department operates more than 700 vehicles, creating significant maintenance demands. Fire engines that weigh 80,000 pounds are regularly suspended in the air for repairs in the department's garage.
Captain Kent Arnold and engineer Dave Bieber manage a giant whiteboard that tracks the department's operations and vehicle status.
Bieber says the mechanics handle anywhere from 60 to 100 different mechanical issues daily.
"Most common [issues] are oil leaks, coolant leaks, air [conditioners] going out in the summertime. The heat takes a real beating on our trucks out here," Bieber said.
On the agenda now is replacing the fuel tank on Rescue 35, an ambulance. Jefferson says it's an intensive job that takes several hours to complete.
"It always keeps you on your toes and you never know what you're going to deal with," Jefferson said.
Maintaining service operations and a parts inventory in-house helps to minimize turnaround times, making this repair only hours instead of potentially days.
"If we have it in stock, boom, charge it out. Then they're back in service fighting the good fight," Jefferson said.
While you won't see them responding to the emergency, without this behind-the-scenes team, calls could go unanswered.
"These guys are the unsung heroes of the fire department. We cannot accomplish our mission if they don't keep us on the road," Arnold said.
Like clockwork, Rescue 35 is backing out of its bay and quickly back in service with a new fuel tank, ready to respond to the next emergency.
"When I am done for the day and I see a truck I worked on responding to a fire because of something I did, it makes me proud," Jefferson said. "I don't do it for the thanks or the praise, I just do it to help."