Arizona Cities and Fire Districts File Antitrust Lawsuit Over Soaring Fire Truck Costs and Delays
Seven Arizona cities, including Tucson, Phoenix, Tempe, Gilbert, Scottsdale, Mesa, and Peoria, have joined 80 jurisdictions nationwide in an antitrust class action lawsuit against fire truck manufacturers and private equity firms. The lawsuit alleges monopolistic control of the market has led to significant price increases and delivery delays for essential fire equipment. Fire districts in Arizona are also considering legal action, with support from the state's attorney general. According to Dan Freiberg, president of the Professional Firefighters of Arizona, the cost of a standard pumper truck increased from approximately $613,000 in 2020 to $1.15 million in 2025, while an aerial platform truck rose from $1.6 million in 2022 to $2.17 million in 2025. Delivery times for parts have also stretched from 10 months in 2020 to over two years by 2025. The lawsuit, currently in federal court in Wisconsin, claims that private equity firm American Industrial Partners consolidated nearly a dozen small fire truck manu...
