Volunteer fire departments across Pennsylvania are sounding the alarm over soaring costs and years-long delays for new fire trucks.
And one Somerset County department says it’s been waiting far longer than promised for a truck that it ordered more than two years ago.
The issue was the focus of a state Senate hearing on Monday where fire officials testified that the cost of new apparatus has skyrocketed since the pandemic, while delivery times have stretched to three and even four years.
A statement submitted by the Somerset Regional Volunteer Fire Department detailed its own experience.
Officials say they began the process of replacing a rescue engine in early 2024, paying 750-thousand dollars for the truck.
They were initially told that it would be delivered by September of 2024, but the completion date has now been pushed back.
“As of today, the truck has been pushed back to June of 2026. And we still have not received a promise from the truck builder. During this time, we replaced the tanker unit in the station, which cost almost $700,000. So, it’s just the runaround that you get from the truck manufacturers, the builders and stuff like that by pushing things back on us.”
Fire leaders say the delays and rising costs are making it increasingly difficult for volunteer departments to keep equipment up to date and ready for emergencies.