Two top US fire officials have resigned due to poor response times, communication and inadequate fire equipment.
According to the Detroit Free Press, the mayor of Detroit forced the resignation of the city’s fire commissioner James Mack and his deputy Seth Doyle.
Speaking at a news conference, mayor Dave Bing said: “When things aren’t working, we will make the moves necessary to protect the services and citizens of the city.
“We have to peel this onion back and get the problem fixed.
Department officials said some slow response times could be attributed to a reduction in firefighters.
Dan McNamara, president of the firefighters union, said the department was in need of new equipment, in particular, the protective gear worn by fire crews.
A day before the two officials stepped down, US media reports alleged that a fire official stole a wallet from a house in Detroit in December after responding to a call about carbon monoxide.
However, the theft was not reported by fire officials to the police until at least two weeks after the incident, according to Bing. This lack of communication and "co ordination" costed two jobs, Bing said.
Bing’s office told the Detroit Free Press that the wallet was returned after the resident complained to fire officials about the theft.
