Businesses have pledged a total of $8 million to help cash-strapped Detroit pay for a new fleet of emergency vehicles, including 23 EMS units and 100 police cars, to boost public safety and reduce response times, Mayor Dave Bing announced Monday.
Racing team owner Roger Penske, who leads Penske Automotive Group and whose Penske Corp. is among the donors, joined Bing at a news conference at City Hall to announce the donation. The other donors are Quicken Loans Inc., General Motors, Ford, Chrysler and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.
The announcement came on the same day bankruptcy attorney and turnaround specialist Kevyn Orr began his first day on the job as Detroit’s emergency manager. Orr has taken over the finances of the largest city in the country to come under state oversight.
The donations will enable the city to replace the entire fleet of the Detroit Fire Department’s Emergency Medical Services Division.
The announcement was welcomed by the Detroit Fire Department and the Detroit Police Department, which both have aging vehicle fleets.
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