SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — A chassis shortage is affecting every fire department in Central Florida, leaving some departments waiting years for new trucks.
In Seminole County, firefighters run more than 51,000 calls every year, giving the average life span of a fire truck about 10 years.
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But now departments all across the country are having to run the trucks a little longer as chassis are in short supply. A supply chain issue of microchips caused by the pandemic has a two-year backlog that has manufacturers struggling to catch up.
“We use to get trucks, engines and rescue, towers even in the 10-12 month range now they are up to 30 months and 42 months for a fire truck along with that the price increase has just continued to escalate,” Seminole County Fire Chief Matt Kinley said.
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In 2021, the American Ambulance Association wrote a letter asking that the federal government step in, saying the issue is at crisis levels and could become a threat to public safety.
But since then, there has not been much movement from the federal government. And now departments like Orlando, Osceola and Orange County fire are experiencing delays.
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Kinley said since then the lead times for getting those new vehicles have tripled and the prices are now up 40 to 50%.
On Wednesday, Kinley asked the Seminole County Commission for $5 million from reserves to order six emergency vehicles because waiting could mean he won’t get them in time.
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