Capitalism has lifted more people out of poverty than any other economic system, driving innovation and prosperity through competition and voluntary exchange. But markets only function properly when they are free—when competition is preserved and coercive or collusive practices are prevented.
One issue uniting large cities and small towns alike is the need to purchase fire apparatus to ensure public safety.
At a recent Congressional hearing, Sen. Josh Hawley captured the urgency of the problem: “Since 2020, prices for fire trucks have doubled, and delivery times have, in some cases, quadrupled.”
He identified the cause: “Two words: Wall Street. In 2008, a private equity entity bought up a fire truck manufacturer and, over the next decade, rolled up six or seven more fire truck brands... As a result, some 70 to 80% of the market is controlled by three or four companies.”
This consolidation has effectively created a duopoly that reduces competition and limits choice.
Delivery times that once averaged six months to a year have stretched to two or even four years, while profits continue to rise. The hearing also presented evidence suggesting possible market manipulation. As Sen. Hawley noted, “Manufacturers are sharing data to manipulate the market,” referencing trade association practices and industry consolidation.
The hearing demonstrated a rare bipartisan rebuke of the industry’s business practices, ranging from Sen. Hawley and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, reflecting a shared recognition that concentrated market power can harm both taxpayers and public safety.
According to Sen. Hawley, the manufacturers’ own investor documents described the “backlog in delivery apparatus” as “a design, not a flaw,” suggesting a deliberate business strategy that increases margins while leaving fire departments waiting years for essential equipment.
The fire apparatus industry, once a model of American innovation, has now become a case study in how consolidation can stifle competition and harm communities. This has happened in municipalities across the country. Fire apparatus costs have skyrocketed along with the escalating delivery time to receive a new fire truck and the lack of availability of fire apparatus repair parts in the post-COVID era. Each of these situations negatively affects the ability to deliver high-quality lifesaving, property protection, and other related safety and security services offered by every local fire department.
The Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice Antitrust Division should review whether the current level of consolidation in the fire apparatus market is consistent with competitive principles.
Moreover, federal and state policymakers should explore solutions that restore affordability, foster fair competition, and ensure that procurement processes serve both firefighters and taxpayers.
Public safety is the foundation of every community. Delays in fire apparatus procurement and repair undermine the ability of local departments to protect lives and property.
Consider Kansas City as a case study. The fire department operates 18 stations, protecting 153,345 residents across 128 square miles that include industrial zones, rail hubs, and interstate corridors. It handles over 37,000 calls each year involving fires, medical emergencies, rescues, and hazardous incidents. From June to August 2023, five of its 15 pumpers were sidelined for repairs due to parts delays, cutting our response capacity by one-third. The department was forced to deploy SUVs and a borrowed brush truck without ladders, hoses, or rescue tools.
This is not a satisfactory emergency response model for any community.
Before COVID-19, a standard pumper cost $627,555 with a 10-month delivery time. Today, it costs $857,500—an increase of 36.6 percent—with a 29-month wait. Even nationwide searches yield limited options. We were fortunate to find three rural-spec trucks from a small Louisiana manufacturer. But if a vehicle is totaled, a three-to-five-year wait for replacement is untenable.
Manufacturers often cite customization demands and supply chain challenges. Those factors are real but not the full story. A more standardized production model, with separate lines for urban, suburban or rural, and custom builds, could reduce costs, improve delivery times, and maintain quality.
Henry Ford once quipped, “Any color the customer wants, as long as it’s black.” The point remains that reasonable standardization can restore predictability and control costs without sacrificing performance.
We support American business and respect profits earned through competition and innovation. However, where monopolistic behavior or anticompetitive practices emerge, policymakers have a responsibility to ensure that markets remain open and fair.
States and municipalities also have a role to play. They should evaluate whether excessive customization or narrow bid specifications are unnecessarily inflating costs. Elected officials must ask whether procurement processes truly foster competition or whether they inadvertently exclude potential bidders. Sole-sourcing for fleet uniformity can sometimes be justified, but those decisions must be transparent and based on clear evidence.
It is an open secret that some fire department apparatus committees and departments write bids that exclude competitors. While often rationalized as “standard practice,” this can amount to bid rigging that artificially drives up prices. The solution lies in transparency. Local leaders should publicly ask whether bid specifications preclude other manufacturers from participating.
When I raised this question years ago in New Haven, before fully reviewing the technical specifications, the city abruptly canceled the bid and reissued a new one. A manufacturer’s representative later admitted, “It’s part of the game.” The result is that everyone in the industry benefits, while taxpayers pay more.
Rigged bids, alleged price coordination, excessive customization, and limited competition burden taxpayers and weaken public safety budgets. Addressing these challenges will require both antitrust vigilance and better local oversight.
While allegations of collusion and manipulation deserve continued scrutiny, what is beyond dispute is that current market conditions have made it increasingly difficult for communities to afford essential safety equipment. Municipal leaders, manufacturers, and policymakers alike should focus on restoring competition, transparency, and value in a sector where public safety—and lives—depend.
Dennis L. Rubin’s fire and rescue experience spans more than 40 years. Rubin has served as chief of the department in Atlanta, Georgia, Washington, D.C., and Kansas City, Kansas. Rubin has authored five books published by Fire Engineering Books, with the most recent offering entitle Choosing To Command. Rubin can be contacted at ChiefRubin@iCloud.com.
Frank Ricci is a Fellow at Yankee Institute, former union president for New Haven Fire Fighters, and a retired battalion chief. He was the lead plaintiff in the landmark Supreme Court case Ricci v. DeStefano. He is the author of “Command Presence.”
