How buying a fire truck works
Buying a new car for personal use is not always easy. There is a huge range to choose from, and it's not just the color that has to be right. The price is important too, of course. But which brand should you go for? How many horsepower does it need? Questions upon questions. But eventually, the decision is made. Have you ever wondered how difficult it is to buy a fire truck?
6 Jan 2026Share
In Germany, around 3,000 new vehicles of all types are purchased each year. Who is responsible for this? Who decides what they should be? And how long does something like this take?
One thing is certain: they have to be red. We asked someone who should know a few questions about buying a fire truck: Jörg Fiebach. He is Chief Fire Director at the Munich Fire Department and recently wrote the German Fire Service Association's technical recommendation on “Vehicle Procurement.”
How long does a fire truck normally last before a new one has to be purchased?
Jörg Fiebach: In Germany, a fire truck usually remains in service for around 20 to 25 years. Of course, its service life depends heavily on how much it is used. After more than 20 years of operation, repairs and thus maintenance costs and downtime usually increase. The availability of spare parts for old fire trucks also becomes a problem at this point.
Who ultimately decides when a new vehicle is needed? And what does the decision-making process look like?
Jörg Fiebach: The decision-making processes vary from municipality to municipality. In larger cities, there are internal vehicle assessors who evaluate the condition of the vehicles and then recommend them for disposal based on their age and wear and tear. This often results in a classic “economic total loss,” e.g., because repair costs (e.g., for rust damage, overhaul of a pump, or the ladder park of a turntable ladder) exceed the current market value of a vehicle. These assessments should be made with some advance notice so that new purchases can be made before the final disposal.
How does the person responsible actually find out what is available on the market? What role does INTERSCHUTZ play, for example?
Jörg Fiebach: In order to procure a new fire engine through the necessary tender process, purchasers need a good overview of the market, the current products, and their performance characteristics. In the tender, purchasers must specify their performance requirements, which should be based on what is available on the market. At INTERSCHUTZ, those responsible and those involved in procurement have the opportunity to see demonstrations of the latest products from many manufacturers. This enables purchasers to draw up a tender that carefully defines their performance requirements and creates the desired competition between vehicle suppliers.
How much does a fire truck cost – from, to... – from a personnel carrier to a large fire engine or turntable ladder?
Jörg Fiebach: A simply equipped personnel carrier starts at around €70,000, while an HLF 20 rescue fire engine costs around €700,000. A DLA(K) 23-12 turntable ladder costs around one million euros. Ultimately, however, these are only rough estimates, as the actual vehicle prices depend heavily on the requirements for the chassis, body, and equipment.
It is well known that there are many regulations (not only) in Germany. Which ones and how many are there when it comes to procuring a fire engine?
Jörg Fiebach: Ultimately, there is a huge number of regulations, from vehicle registration law alone, but it is primarily the manufacturer who is responsible for compliance. The municipality must comply with public procurement law when procuring vehicles. The standards are classic rules for fire engines, but they mainly have a supporting effect. For example, there is a vehicle standard for each of the common vehicle types, which primarily describes the key points regarding operational value. In addition, there are standards that describe general requirements for all vehicle types, e.g., for the dimensions of steps and seats, the piping of the tank and pump, or even the color scheme of fire trucks. In addition, there are many standards for most of the load components. By referring to the fire department standards, purchasers do not have to specify all the details in the tender themselves.
How long does it take from the decision to the handover?
Jörg Fiebach: It often takes three years from the decision, which is often a formal decision by the city or municipal council—depending on the rules of procedure and specified value limits of the respective municipality—to delivery. It usually takes a year to plan the new vehicle, taking into account local ideas and requirements, including extensive market research. The publication of the tender, evaluation of the bids, and waiting for possible objections takes at least three months. And the construction time for the vehicle, consisting of the delivery time for the chassis and the assembly of the fire truck, currently takes at least 18 to 24 months. Some body manufacturers currently have even longer delivery times.
Due to their high financial volume, vehicle purchases are often included in the municipality's five-year budget planning by the finance departments for better advance planning.
It is clear that the old saying “good things take time” is very apt here.
More information
More information on this topic will be available at an online training course offered by the German Fire Service Association “DFV direkt” on May 20, 2026 – perfectly timed to prepare for a visit to INTERSCHUTZ (June 1 to 6, 2026)! You can register for free training here (German).
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