San Diego County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer is planning to ask the county attorney’s office to explore antitrust litigation. NBC 7’s Omari Fleming reports.
Wildfires are a year-round threat in San Diego County, but some top firefighters in the region and county leaders say corporate greed is threatening your fire safety.
“Fire agencies, both here locally and nationally, have been held under hostage over the years by the actions of the fire apparatus manufacturers and under private equity ownership,” Chief Dave McQuead of the San Diego County Fire Chiefs Association (SDCFCA) said.
That’s especially concerning for Lakeside resident Dave Kassel. The 2003 Cedar fire destroyed his home.
“We’ll feel the winds coming, and then we'll smell a little smoke, and our senses are on high alert," Kassel said.
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Firefighters say responding to emergencies in a timely manner these days is proving to be more challenging.
“Across California, and really the nation, fire departments are in a fleet crisis," Chief Bernie Molloy of the SDCFCA said.
They're realizing that crisis has been fueled by Wall Street consolidating fire truck manufacturing into three companies. As a result, firefighters say they’re dealing with two major issues, which were highlighted in a New York Times investigation.
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Fire trucks that used to cost $1 million a few years ago, now cost more than $2 million. And trucks that used to take a year to deliver, they say, can now take up to four years to get. Firefighters say that means sometimes using vehicles that are 20 years old or older to respond to fires.
“Our personnel stand ready to do their jobs, but we're having trouble arranging the apparatus in a timely fashion to meet the needs to serve our community,” Molloy said.
Union representative Tim Ross says seconds matter, and in some of the most critical moments, he's been on trucks that broke down on the way to the 2020 wildfires in Northern California. More recently, he says during a fire fight last week, the equipment broke on a truck he was working.
“Due to old equipment, an outdated engine and years of hard water, junk and crunk in the pump, I accidentally lost 20% of my water on the fire and went down into the ground. That's 20% less firefighting capability and doubles the safety factor for my firefighters," he said.
During Tuesday’s board meeting, San Diego County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer is planning to ask the county attorney’s office to explore antitrust litigation.
“Fire is a fact of life here, but letting a handful of Wall Street investors profit off that reality is unconscionable. We're calling on state and federal leaders to wake up to this crisis and to help us break the corporate stranglehold on emergency response. No fire department should be at the mercy of a monopolized supply chain when lives are on the line," Lawson-Remer said.
Kassel's thankful Lawson-Remer is taking action. After rebuilding his home, the Cedar Fire survivor know what's at stake.
"Fire truck companies aren't just buying up these fire truck companies. They're buying our safety and putting a price on our lives," Kassel said.
