As fire truck prices hit $2 million, US firefighters demand an antitrust probe
The largest firefighters' labor union in the U.S. is demanding antitrust authorities investigate the companies that make fire trucks, saying industry consolidation has led to skyrocketing costs and years-long wait times, endangering firefighters and the public. The U.S. Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission should probe the fire and emergency vehicle industry, where three companies — REV Group, Oshkosh, and Rosenbauer — together make up around two-thirds of the market, the International Association of Fire Fighters said in a letter. Truck prices have doubled in the past decade, with ladder trucks now costing as much as $2 million each, while fire departments are facing backlogs as long as four years, said IAFF, which represents fire and emergency workers in the U.S. and Canada, and the American Economic Liberties Project, an antimonopoly group.