Mass. communities wait longer, and pay more, for fire trucks

Westfield Fire Chief Patrick Egloff says his department was scheduled to receive a new fire truck in August. Now, the manufacturer is telling the department the truck won’t be delivered until next year.

It’s an experience playing out at fire stations across Massachusetts and the country. After placing an order for a new fire truck, a department can wait up to three or four years before seeing the vehicle — a situation one western Massachusetts fire official calls a “nightmare.”