Episode Details

Fire departments across the country are in crisis as shortages of working fire engines force emergency crews to scramble—sometimes waiting over four years for a ladder truck. In Kansas City, Kansas, a third of their fleet was sidelined last summer, and nationwide, skyrocketing prices and crushing delivery delays are straining budgets and public safety. Three major manufacturers face antitrust lawsuits for allegedly colluding to limit competition, driving up costs and stifling innovation. Mayors and chiefs warn taxpayers are bearing the brunt, while manufacturers blame pandemic-era supply chain chaos and deny wrongdoing. Investigations are now underway at state and federal levels—with bipartisan backing—to uncover how consolidation and pricing have choked out new competitors and whether communities can ever get affordable, reliable fire equipment again.

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