State, local police Ford SUVs tested after Auburn CO scare

Ford technicians will continue tests today on police SUVs in Auburn as well as state police cruisers and have vowed to stay as long as it takes to fix the problem after six Auburn officers were treated for exposure to high levels of carbon monoxide, officials said.

Boston police are also testing their Interceptor SUVs and are in the process of ordering mounted carbon monoxide monitors, a BPD spokesman said.

The testing comes after six Auburn officers were treated at a local hospital, including one officer who passed out behind the wheel of his cruiser and rear-ended another motorist at a stop sign.

“We did testing on some vehicles, we were not able to complete testing on all of the vehicles,” Auburn police Chief Andrew Sluckis told the Herald last night. “Ford is committed to rectifying the problem and they said they are going to keep the engineers as long as necessary until it’s rectified.”

Sluckis said of his officers, “They are doing great, everyone has been discharged from the hospital. Five of the officers have returned to work. The one who was involved in the accident suffered minor injuries, he’s still out as a result of that accident.”

It is unclear how long it will take to test the SUVs, which are being operated under numerous conditions that simulate lawenforce activity, Sluckis said. The Ford techs had planned to leave this morning and were forced to cancel their flights out of town when the work was not completed.

As testing continues, Auburn has ordered CO monitors for all of its cruisers and even pressed some of the old Crown Victorias into service to make up for the 10 Fords taken out of circulation, Sluckis said.

High CO levels have been reported in police Interceptor SUVs in other parts of the country and Ford said after-market installation of lights, wires, sirens, and other police necessities may have left holes which, if not properly sealed, can create an opening where exhaust could enter the passenger cabin.

State police spokesman David Procopio said a sample of state police cruisers were being run through tests with Ford technicians at the state police driving course in Devens and were still awaiting results last night.