At last, the mystery of who thought it was a good idea to repair ambulances with "No Parking" signs has been solved. The unorthodox repair methods were done by mechanics at the Department of Public Works, according to Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Paul Quander.
"I think they were trying to be creative," Quander said.
The irony, of course, is that the ambulances were originally sent to the Department of Public Works and DC Water during the July heat wave because the fire department's own maintenance crews couldn't repair enough of them properly. DPW didn't respond to a request for comment.
Quander, meanwhile, is getting sick of dealing with the fire department. At today's mayoral press conference, Quander says responding to what he characterized as minor issues with the department was "a drain on resources."
The idea that Quander spends all his time dealing with the fire department wasn't helped when NBC 4's Tom Sherwood called him "Chief Quander" in a question to Mayor Vince Gray.
"Not funny, OK?" Gray said.
Photo courtesy IAFF36