Adams Township gets help from Ford with defective K-9 vehicle
ADAMS TWP — After months of wrangling with an automotive giant, the township board of supervisors announced during its meeting on Monday, Feb. 24, that they secured a promise from the Ford Motor Company to assist them with repairing a defective police cruiser.
The vehicle, a 2020 Ford Explorer specially equipped for K-9 use, was taken out of service after the township discovered it gave off excessive amounts of carbon monoxide, putting its occupants in danger.
“It was putting off carbon monoxide, and nobody seemed to want to do anything for us,” said township Supervisor Ronald Shemela.
That has now changed, as the township received notice on Friday, Feb. 21, that Ford’s corporate headquarters in Detroit deployed a team to Baierl Ford in Zelienople to conduct carbon monoxide testing on the vehicle. The company also requested a vehicle from Classic Automotive to tow the Explorer to Baierl, at Ford’s expense.
“Once the issue is remedied, we will have to wait for Ford's recall, which will take place in the second quarter (of 2025),” said township Supervisor Russell Ford.
According to him, the township had been at loggerheads with the company for six months while the car sat idle. The primary users of the vehicle — K-9 officer Kiko and K-9 handler Jason Gallorenzo — were moved into another police vehicle that was equipped for K-9 use.
He said this saves the township from having to scrap the defective vehicle.
“We were able to get Ford to the point now where they are going to fix the car,” he said. “This is an actual victory for the township.”
