ODI WAS PETITIONED TO REOPEN ITS INVESTIGATION OF TREAD SEPARATIONS IN FIRESTONE STEELTEX TIRES, PARTICULARLY THOSE USED ON AMBULANCES, ON THE BASIS THAT THESE TIRES CONTAIN DEFECTS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO HIGH RATES OF TREAD SEPARATIONS, AND THAT THESE TREAD SEPARATIONS POSE AN UNREASONABLE SAFETY RISK TO AMBULANCE OPERATORS AND THEIR PATIENTS WHILE DRIVING.THIS PETITION WAS SUBMITTED CONCURRENTLY WITH DP04-004, WHICH APPLIES TO ALL STEELTEX TIRES MANUFACTURED SINCE 1995.ODI'S ANALYSIS INDICATES THAT IT IS UNLIKELY THAT NHTSA WOULD ISSUE AN ORDER FOR THE NOTIFICATION AND REMEDY OF A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT IN THE SUBJECT STEELTEX TIRES AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE INVESTIGATION REQUESTED IN THE PETITION.ODI DID NOT IDENTIFY SIGNS OF A DEFECT TREND IN STEELTEX TIRES USED ON AMBULANCES.FURTHER EXPENDITURE OF ODI'S RESOURCES ON THIS MATTER IS NOT JUSTIFIED AT THIS TIME.ODI WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE PERFORMANCE OF THESE TIRES FOR ANY SIGNS THAT A DEFECT TREND MAY BE DEVELOPING.PLEASE SEE THE DP04-005 PUBLIC FILE FOR A MORE DETAILED ANALYSIS.