Auditor finds take‑home vehicle control gaps at Baltimore City Fire Department; city commits to policy revisions

The Baltimore City Department of Audits presented a biannual performance review of the Fire Department’s take‑home vehicle program on Dec. 3, finding gaps in assignment controls and documentation that the city has begun to address.

City Auditor Josh Pash told the Board of Estimates the audit examined fiscal years 2023 and 2024 and extended testing into 2025. Pash said auditors reviewed 38 assigned take‑home vehicles and identified three main issues: two vehicles were assigned to a deputy mayor and a staff member no longer employed by the department; the Fire Department lacked a formal, centralized approval and document‑retention process for assignments; and six officers had zero recorded emergency incident responses across the audit period yet retained vehicles.

"We noted of the 38 take‑home vehicles that were assigned, two were assigned to a deputy mayor…