City fire leadership told the finance committee on Nov. 1 that lead times and prices for fire apparatus have increased dramatically and that ordering now is the only practical way to avoid multi‑year shortages.

Rolling stock committee staff said production delays have pushed build times as long as four years for some apparatus and that price increases have been steep: where a pumper previously might cost about $600,000, current comparable pumpers are described in the presentation as roughly $1.1–$1.2 million, and ladder/aerial trucks are pushing toward $2.5 million. ‘‘Fire apparatus are now taking upwards of 4 years to build,’’ the rolling stock representative said.

Chief John Austin and operations staff recommended using cooperative purchasing (the Houston‑Galveston consortium/HDAC and Sourcewell were discussed) and recommended Seagrave as a preferred manufacturer because of mechanics’ familiarity and safety features. Staff proposed placing an order in January 2026 for five apparatus with a combined capital request of just over $8.5 million and suggested splitting the appropriation across two capital cycles to spread cost and account for the four‑plus‑year delivery window.

Committee members asked about deposits, cancellation options and whether cooperative contracts provide real cost savings. Staff said the planned purchase would be cash‑on‑delivery (no deposit) to preserve cancellation flexibility, and that national cooperative contracts can reduce procurement friction though actual cost savings vary by apparatus type.

Why it matters: The committee framed the buy as proactive fleet planning to preserve firefighter safety and operational capacity amid national supply‑chain constraints and rising unit prices.

What happens next: The committee gave a favorable recommendation to advance the purchase order; staff will provide the committee with an electronic copy of the fleet age and condition chart and continue planning with the budget office.

Attribution: Direct quotes and figures are from the fire department and rolling stock presentation recorded in the committee transcript.