State Sen. Michele Brooks, R-Greenville, is pictured speaking in late April at Thiel College.

One of the region’s former state senators is proposing opening up a state grant program to the purchase of fire trucks and firefighting equipment.

The Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program is a Commonwealth grant program administered by the Office of the Budget for the design, acquisition, and construction of regional economic, cultural, civic, recreational, and historical improvement projects. RACP projects have a regional or multi-jurisdictional impact, and generate substantial increases or maintain current levels of employment, tax revenues, or other measures of economic activity.

Fire trucks and firefighting equipment had previously been eligible to receive RACP funding, as long as the request for assistance did not exceed $50,000. This was removed from the definition of Redevelopment Assistance Capital Project in 2013. Sen. Michele Brooks, R-Greenville, is circulating a co-sponsorship memorandum that would reverse a 2013 change.

“As we all know, our fire companies are struggling in many ways, and an extreme burden is the ever-rising costs of equipment, upgrading facilities and most of all, fire trucks and apparatus. For this reason, I intend on reinstating fire trucks and firefighting equipment back into the definition of a Redevelopment Assistance Capital Project, as long as the request for assistance does not exceed $150,000, and the total purchase/project cost is at least $300,000,” Brooks wrote in her co-sponsorship memorandum.

New frontline fire trucks can take between three and five years to be built and cost between $1 million and $2 million. Pumper trucks typically cost $1,000,000 or more, while custom or specialized aerial and ladder trucks can reach $2,000,000. Wait times for new builds are currently between 3 to 5 years. Used engines and rescues generally range from $50,000 to $500,000.

A New York Times investigation in 2025 detailed the national market conditions, where private equity firms REV Group, Oshkosh and Rosenbauer control 70-80% of production, which have left departments struggling to replace trucks quickly. Prices have also increased over the past five years, further stretching volunteer fire department budgets. The New York Times report prompted a U.S. Senate committee hearing in September.

That prompted state Rep. Rep. Jennifer O’Mara, D-Delaware, to host a committee hearing in the state House Majority Policy Committee.

“Private equity consolidation in the fire truck industry is driving up costs beyond what local fire companies can afford, forcing departments to stretch thin budgets just to maintain essential equipment,” said O’Mara. “This isn’t just economic–it’s a safety issue. When outdated equipment fails, lives are at risk. Fire companies shouldn’t face soaring costs and limited options to protect their communities.”

In the 2010s, the fire truck industry was diverse and had a wide range of independent sellers. Fire trucks at that time cost between $300,000 and $400,000. Since then, private equity firms have consolidated fire truck manufacturers to the point where just three companies control most of the market. Today, those same trucks cost upwards of $1 million.

In addition to rising costs, testifiers said the delivery time of new fire apparatus has doubled or tripled since private equity consolidation of fire truck companies. Springfield Fire Co., where Tuesday’s hearing was held, ordered a new fire truck in March 2023 but is still waiting for delivery. The reduced competition among existing manufacturers means fire companies are waiting several years for the delivery of their new trucks, leaving fire stations in desperate need of upgraded equipment.

“Private equity-owned manufacturers continue to fail to expand production capacity, and in some cases even reduce it, despite growing demand from fire stations nationwide. This prioritizes financial gains over the reliability and readiness that the public expects of us,” said Kevin Ressler, board secretary of the Professional Fire Fighters Association of Pennsylvania. “These are unacceptable practices and are a direct obstacle to the urgent needs of the fire service for safe and reliable equipment.”