4 Arizona cities join lawsuit against fire truck manufacturers

Several Arizona cities have joined a lawsuit accusing fire truck manufacturers of price gouging and delayed manufacturing.

According to the International Association of Fire Fighters, 70% of all U.S. fire equipment production is controlled by just three companies — Rev Group, Oshkosh and Rosenbauer.

Tempe, Gilbert, Scottsdale and Tucson have joined 85 other plaintiffs in the Fire Apparatus Antitrust Litigation. The suit claims a private equity firm, American Industrial Partners, has sought to exploit the fire truck market through consolidation.

The Mesa City Council approved to file litigation against fire apparatus manufacturers two weeks ago.

Tempe Interim Fire Chief Kyle Carman says his department has waited three to four years for some deliveries, and costs have risen from $500,000 to $1 million.

“The cost to keep it versus just getting rid of it and purchasing a new truck, there's a breakover point there. So we have to prolong our apparatus, keeping them longer, putting more money into them than we normally would.”

He says the delays and rise in price are causing Tempe Fire to put more wear and tear on vehicles. The delays also mean Carman has to predict what the market will look like in five years by examining the current state of the fire apparatus.

“A lot of things can change in that amount of time. We're also having to look at the miles and hours to be able to predict where they are going to be in the next four years."

Oshkosh’s backlog reached $14 billion in the first half of 2026.

During a Senate hearing on fire apparatus costs, REV Fire Group President Mike Virnig said rising costs are due to inflation, supply chain issues, senior employees leaving and increased demand.

The cities seek monetary damages and legal fee reimbursement.