The city of Fullerton has filed a federal class action lawsuit against three major fire apparatus manufacturers in the United States and dozens of their dealers, alleging they are violating antitrust laws to monopolize the market, which has pushed up the cost of firefighting equipment and slowed delivery.
The complaint, filed April 21 against Oshkosh Corp., REV Group, Inc., Boise Mobile Equipment, Inc., and the others, seeks restitution of profits the companies may have reaped through unlawful business practices, reimbursing Fullerton and other class members for the overcharges.
The lawsuit opens by painting the image of Altadena resident Victor Shaw, who was found dead with his fingers curled around a garden hose outside his home during the January 2025 Eaton Fire. His death, the suit alleges, was preventable: Shaw’s neighborhood did not lack water or firefighters, but fire apparatus. More than 100 of the Los Angeles Fire Department’s 183 fire trucks were out of service during the fires, with many kept past their prime because the cost of replacing them was “astronomic.”
The lawsuit argues, “fires are often thought of as natural disasters, but these were failures born of equipment shortages and pricing that placed critical lifesaving vehicles out of reach.”
The lawsuit argues Oshkosh and REV control roughly 76% of the fire apparatus industry, with Oshkosh dominating more than 50%, and that market concentration, the complaint alleges, has allowed them to monopolize business, place a chokehold on production through a “coordinated and deliberate restriction of supply,” eliminate competition by “absorbing (other companies) in a series of private equity roll-ups and strategic acquisitions,” and enforce digital price fixing.
Representatives for Oshkosh could not be immediately reached for comment; in response to a similar federal lawsuit filed by the city of La Crosse, Wisconsin, last year, both REV Group and Oshkosh Corporation called the lawsuit “meritless,” according to Wisconsin Public Radio. The court’s online system showed no response to the Fullerton suit filed as of Tuesday afternoon.
Fullerton filed a complaint with the California Attorney General’s office in September, citing concerns over anti-competitive practices in the fire apparatus industry resulting in escalating costs, equipment shortages and significant delivery delays. The International Association of Fire Fighters separately called on federal officials to investigate the industry, warning that the cost of fire trucks has reportedly doubled over the past decade.
“Our firefighters depend on reliable, modern equipment to respond to emergencies quickly and effectively,” Fullerton Fire Chief Adam Loeser said in a statement. “Extended delays and excessive costs for essential apparatus place unnecessary strain on our department’s operations and can affect our ability to plan for the future.”
City officials said a $2.2 million “quint” fire apparatus, which is both an engine and a ladder truck, ordered in 2023, has yet to be delivered.
“When unlawful practices drive up costs and delay critical public safety equipment,” Fullerton Mayor Fred Jung said in a statement, “it impacts every resident we serve. We are taking action to protect our community and demand accountability.”