Cape Girardeau Firefighters Union raises alarm over lack of ladder truck

FOX23 News at 9 p.m

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo., (KBSI) – The Cape Girardeau Professional Firefighters Union Local 1084 is urging city leaders to take immediate action after the city has been without a functioning ladder truck for more than two weeks, calling it a “critical public safety issue” that endangers both residents and firefighters.

According to the union, the city has not had an operational ladder truck since October 13, when its reserve apparatus, Ladder 4, suffered multiple mechanical failures. The city’s primary truck, Ladder 1, has been out of service since September 8 following a collision, and repairs are not expected to be completed until December or January.

Union officials said the absence of a ladder truck leaves the city without the ability to conduct high-elevation rescues or deliver elevated water streams to large fires. The longest portable ladders available reach only second-story windows.

“The city of Cape Girardeau currently has no functioning ladder truck,” the union stated. “If a fire or rescue occurs above the second floor, firefighters cannot reach those in danger.”

The nearest available ladder trucks with 100-foot aerial capability are located in Carbondale, Illinois, and Poplar Bluff, Missouri, while Jackson’s 78-foot ladder truck is also out of service.

The union said Ladder 4, a used apparatus purchased in 2014, was only intended to serve for four to seven years as a stopgap measure but has now exceeded its expected lifespan. The truck has experienced repeated mechanical problems, including failures in the power steering pump, air system, and aerial alignment.

Following the September accident involving Ladder 1, Fire Chief officials requested permission to lease a temporary ladder truck, but the city denied the request, according to the union.

Local 1084 also questioned the city’s use of the Fire Sales Tax and Public Safety Trust Fund, which was extended by voters in 2014. The fund generates approximately $385,000 annually for vehicle replacement, with more than $3 million collected since its approval.

“The city’s claim that there is no money available for apparatus replacement is unacceptable,” the union said. “Citizens deserve to know where these funds have gone.”

The firefighters’ union is calling on the city to:

Lease or acquire a temporary 100-foot ladder truck immediately.

Provide full transparency and accounting of the Fire Sales Tax and Public Safety Trust Fund.

Establish a long-term apparatus replacement plan.

“This is not a political statement,” the union said. “It is a plea for action. Firefighters cannot perform their duties effectively or safely without the equipment necessary to do so.”

The union emphasized that firefighters remain committed to serving the community but warned that the lack of essential equipment poses a serious risk to both public and firefighter safety.

“When the alarm sounds, we respond without hesitation,” the statement concluded. “It’s time for the city to do the same.”