KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KCTV) — The Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas (UG), has filed a federal class action lawsuit alleging the nation’s largest fire truck manufacturers conspired to fix prices and restrict production in a scheme that has driven fire apparatus costs from $500,000 to more than $1 million while creating dangerous delays for fire departments nationwide.
The case was filed on Thursday, Jan. 29, in the United States District of Kansas. The Unified Government of Wyandotte County and KCK is suing:
- REV Group, Inc.
- Oshkosh Corporation
- Pierce Manufacturing, Inc.
- Rosenbauer America, LLC
- Rosenbauer Minnesota, LLC
- Rosenbauer South Dakota, LLC
In the 100-page suit, the UG accuses REV Group, Inc. of purchasing independent makers of Fire Apparatus over the past decade and states the group is doing it to reduce competition.
The lawsuit alleges REV Group’s acquisition of Spartan forced independent manufacturers to rely on REV Group for critical components needed to build fire trucks.
Backlogs believed to be a strategy
Court documents state that delivery times for the fire trucks have changed from seven to 12 months before the consolidation to more than four years in some cases.
The lawsuit claims defendants implemented “floating price” clauses allowing them to increase costs after orders are placed, with some departments facing surcharges of nearly $150,000.
Aging fleets
The lawsuit documents how the alleged conspiracy has forced fire departments to operate trucks well beyond their recommended retirement age. The Kansas City, Kansas, Fire Department was without five of its 15 pumper trucks in summer 2023 that needed significant repairs and faced delays in getting parts.
During the January 2025 Los Angeles wildfires, documents state that dozens of fire trucks sat idle due to age and lack of repair parts.
Fire Chief Dennis Rubin of Kansas City, Kansas, testified before Congress in September 2025 about an “epic fire apparatus crisis” having a “serious negative impact on the health, safety, welfare, and security of our firefighters, on our community, and on most communities in America.”
Seeking damages
The class action suit is seeking damages under federal antitrust laws and violations of antitrust and consumer protection statutes across multiple states. The UG estimates fire truck purchasers have spent around $19.8 billion more than expected based on inflation alone since 2018.
The lawsuit also seeks injunctive relief to restore competition in the fire apparatus market and prevent further anticompetitive conduct.
The manufacturers have not filed a response in court.
KCTV5 Investigates reached out to all parties regarding this case and is waiting to hear back from several of them.
The Unified Government’s legal counsel shared this statement on Thursday evening:
You can read the entire lawsuit below.
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date: 2026-02-13 03:25:00