Many small town and volunteer fire departments are being forced to cut their budgets across this great country thanks to the current state of the economy. However, those same departments are expected to maintain the same level of safety and security to the communities they serve and protect.

The most important asset to a fire department besides the men and women who keep the community safe is the apparatus they use to fight fires. Have you ever seen how much it costs to buy a fire truck, however? Considering many departments are dependent on fund raising and limited budgets, the cost is extremely high. For example, the cost of buying a brand new fire truck can cost as much as $1,000,000!

That's a lot of money to spend when budgets are always being trimmed. However, can a fire department adjust its performance to be better in line with its decreasing budget? If they are allowed to save LESS lives, then I guess so.

Many fire departments in this country have no other choice but to update their fleet with better apparatus. But with the high investment required to buy new trucks, how can these downsized departments get enough money to afford a new truck? Are there other options out there besides buying a new truck?

Simply put - yes. Just like there are used car dealers, there are also used fire truck dealers.

As I stated above, used fire truck dealers are very similar to used car dealers. Larger fire departments update their fleet with some regularity. When these larger departments update their fleet, used fire truck dealers are there to buy their used apparatus directly from the department. Two positive transactions happen here:

1. The selling fire department generates additional revenue, allowing it to have more monies to serve and protect its communities.
2. The used fire truck dealer can provide the purchased fire truck to a different department, still in great shape, for a significant cost reduction over new apparatus.
   

The best used fire truck dealers bring a discerning eye to the process of buying used apparatus. They seek late model units in the best condition and will often sacrifice a larger inventory to provide quality vehicles to their customers.

By comparison, used fire truck brokers tend to have access to a larger inventory of fire trucks across a nationwide network of dealers. That said, they work with a large group of dealers and are more concerned with connecting you to the right dealer as opposed to matching you up with the right vehicle for your department.

Finding a quality used fire truck is no easy task. It is, however, the most economical way to  upgrade a fire department's fleet.

1. Do you search for and buy your entire inventory?
2. What kind of competitive warranties on the engine and transmission do you offer?
3. Do you provide custom lettering on the vehicle?
4. Do you deliver your apparatus? Is there extra cost involved?
5. What insurances are available to the buyer during delivery?