CARMEL, IN — Fire departments across Indiana are grappling with skyrocketing costs for emergency vehicles, creating significant challenges for fire chiefs across the state.
As prices for fire trucks and ambulances continue to rise, officials warn that the increased financial burden could impact response times and community safety.
Carmel Fire Chief Joel Thacker highlighted the dramatic escalation in costs, noting that a fire truck purchased in 2009 for just under $1 million now carries a price tag exceeding $2 million.
"We're running into issues with cost and manufacturing time of the apparatus," Thacker said.
He emphasized that while Carmel has a robust maintenance division to keep its trucks in working order, not all communities have that luxury.
"If you lose a firetruck and you don't have a backup to replace that, it can put your community in a difficult position," he added.
Matt McCullough, Vice President of the Indiana Fire Chiefs' Association, voiced concerns for smaller departments that may not have the manpower or resources to maintain multiple apparatus.
"A lot of smaller departments are going to ultimately just keep their apparatus longer," McCullough explained. "And with the apparatus becoming out of service more often, obviously that's going to delay the response times."
McCullough said they have not been told directly as to why the a sudden rise in pricing.
"It's across the board with everything. We're not sure why."
Carmel Mayor Sue Finkam is collaborating with the federal government to investigate the factors contributing to these cost increases.
"I’m appreciative of their interest in looking into this situation and trying to make it better, not just for Carmel or Indiana, but this is a problem that we're seeing all across the country," Thacker noted.
WRTV reached out to one emergency vehicle manufacturer for a comment on this story, but they did not respond.
