CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- It's been a long time coming, but finally, an effort in Chicago to help Puerto Rico is almost a done deal.
It's been almost a year and a half, according to 30th Ward Ald. Ariel Reboyras. That's when he says efforts began to help send surplus Chicago equipment -- an ambulance and a fire engine -- to Puerto Rico.
The island had already been devastated by a hurricane.
"Now they're experiencing earthquakes. It's one thing after another."
The problem was: how to get the vehicles there.
Reboyras said a local company took them down to Florida late last week on a flatbed. Now, they’ll be taken across the ocean -- free of charge -- courtesy of a company called Trailer Bridge.
That company had heard the story of Chicago's efforts to help Puerto Rico. They called WBBM late last year and volunteered to transport the vehicles.
Ald. Reboyras says he is grateful and relieved: "Here we go. We're finally getting these two pieces of equipment where they belong."