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<\/p>\nThe City of Edmonton is scheduled to replace 37 fire trucks over the next budget cycle.<\/p>\n
But, with an already strapped budget and a maintenance shortfall that\u2019s in the billions of dollars, the fire truck issue is already sounding alarm bells with councillors.<\/p>\n
Why? Because fire truck prices have doubled since COVID, and show no signs of slowing down. And that means replacing 37 trucks will cost the city millions more than it would have just a couple of years ago.<\/p>\n
The Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs pins the cost of a new fire truck at between $2 million and $3 million.<\/p>\n
The pricing issue is bad enough that Ward papastew Coun. Michael Janz believes that the federal government needs to step in and make fire security part of its national defence strategy. This might be a way to provide some cost relief to municipalities across the country that are experiencing fire-truck sticker shock.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is putting excessive profit-seeking ahead of public safety,\u201d said Janz. \u201cThere\u2019s no reason under the sun why fire trucks should be this expensive, especially as one of the greatest threats to our city and to our country is wildfires right now. This is an area where Mark Carney should absolutely be stepping in, because fire trucks are part of our critical national defence strategy, whether it\u2019s the Fort McMurray fire, the Jasper fire, whether it\u2019s risks to the Industrial Heartland, you can\u2019t have a safe country, you can\u2019t have a true north, strong and free unless you can protect us from from fires.<\/p>\n
\u201cEdmonton taxpayers should not be on the hook because of our country\u2019s failure to break up the monopolies.\u201d<\/p>\n
Janz believes Ottawa need to step in and nationalize fire truck manufacturing. He believes the vehicles need to be categorized as \u201ccritical.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Edmonton Ward papastew Coun. Michael Janz in council chambers on Jan. 27, 2026. Photo by Shaughn Butts\/Postmedia<\/p>\n
Sure, some might roll their eyes when Janz, who sits on the progressive side of the city council table, suggests nationalizing or placing price controls on an industry. But, in the United States, both Democratrs and Republicans have decried what has happened to the emergency-vehicle industry.<\/p>\n
In 2025, Indiana senator Jim Banks, a Republican, and Democrat Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren, began an inquiry into how fire trucks became so expensive, so fast.<\/p>\n
Banks issued this statement, \u201cWhile CEOs and shareholders pad their pockets, consolidation in the industry impedes firefighters\u2019 ability to do their jobs safely and effectively, squeezes fire departments\u2019 budgets, and forces taxpayers to bear the consequences.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have heard from dozens of fire departments in Massachusetts, Indiana, and elsewhere about difficulties they have faced related to serial roll-ups of fire truck manufacturers, including delivery delays, defective parts, and price increases. Private equity consolidation of fire truck manufacturers has led to higher costs and a nationwide shortage of fire trucks.\u201d<\/p>\n
Floating prices<\/p>\n
Warren said that communities that order fire trucks face \u201cfloating\u201d prices. That is, a price is agreed upon, but it could change before delivery. And the truck won\u2019t be delivered unless the municipality makes up the difference on the new, increased price.<\/p>\n
There are also stories of long delays between the ordering of the trucks and deliveries.<\/p>\n
Well, go back in time, and you\u2019ll find that most of the major manufacturers made fire trucks. GMC was in the business. So was Ford.<\/p>\n
But hedge funds got involved in the business, and now there are three major American manufacturers left. REV, which was created through the roll-up of a number of manufacturers, is by far the largest. Oshkosh and Rosenbauer are the other players. But, they control the market. Because there isn\u2019t a lot of choice, the buyers can\u2019t find price relief. And the manufacturers know they have a captive market, because municipalities can\u2019t really cut back on ambulances and firefighting equipment.<\/p>\n
While Janz calls out the problem, so do hardcore Republicans in America.<\/p>\n
Mayor Andrew Knack said the city is already facing a \u201crenewal deficit\u201d of $1.5 billion over the next four years. That\u2019s what\u2019s needed for regular replacement and maintenance of city property, from vehicles to buildings. Right now, the city doesn\u2019t have enough money to even meet that need.<\/p>\n
And the fire-truck question burns. These are must-haves. Knack acknowledges the city has to continue to invest in fire safety, but where\u2019s the money? The mayor said the city can\u2019t go on without more funding from other levels of government.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s also why we\u2019ll continue to work with the provincial and federal governments to talk about municipal funding,\u201d said Knack. \u201cYou know, we\u2019re responsible for about 60 per cent of the infrastructure, and we receive about eight cents of every tax dollar, all at a time where we are seeing a lot of renewal. And this isn\u2019t just an Edmonton problem. This is a Calgary challenge. This is a challenge in every summer village, village, town, small city, midsize city. How we fund infrastructure needs to be very thoughtful going forward, and we\u2019ll continue to work with all the partners in government on this.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs has issued a policy statement urging the federal government to include firefighting equipment in its national defence budget. In 2025, the federal Liberals pledged that 1.5 per cent of GDP would be dedicated to defence spending. The association said that new fire trucks should be part of that plan.<\/p>\n
\u201cNational security is impacted when local communities are vulnerable to emergencies,\u201d reads the statement from the association. \u201cThe longer we delay the restoration of local equipment, the more expensive it becomes due to supply chain lead times, tariffs and surtaxes.\u201d<\/p>\n
A 2025 Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs report found that 1,500 fire departments across Canada need new fire trucks, and the cost to replace them all would be around $2 billion. Edmonton\u2019s 37 fire trucks are part of a national problem.<\/p>\n
The squeeze is on<\/p>\n
Janz said the fire department is already trying to stretch the lives of old vehicles.<\/p>\n
\u201cGuys are trying to duct-tape trucks together and figure out what they can do,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019re already trying to do anything we can to squeeze more kilometres out of these trucks. But, at the end of the day, you don\u2019t want to be gambling with faulty equipment or a faulty truck. I know of a ladder truck that was out of commission, and that means some other ladder has to come from somewhere else, farther away, and that means a slower response time. And when you\u2019re in the fire business, seconds matter.\u201d<\/p>\n
As well, the city needs new fire halls to service many of the new neighbhourhoods outside of Anthony Henday Drive. Knack said that the city will need to build them, but hopes to work with developers.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re working with the development community to say, is this something that they can build in order to help make sure we get the six fire halls that we need in the city as soon as possible?\u201d said Knack. \u201cBecause if we\u2019re building all six ourselves, then that puts the renewal at risk. And so that\u2019s why we\u2019re engaging the development industry around how we can come up with creative solutions for this.\u201d<\/p>\n
But guess what those fire halls need? New fire trucks. And that\u2019s more to add to the city\u2019s order over the next few years.<\/p>\n
Related<\/p>\n
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