December 17, 2025

By Mary Beth Gahan

FLOWER MOUND, Texas — The Flower Mound Fire Department designed a new, $1.6 million fire truck last year and customized it with features that were needed for that part of town, its residents, and the firefighters who ride on the rig.

When they put in the order with Pierce Manufacturing in November 2024, the time it would take to receive the truck was staggering: nearly three and a half years.

In 2019, that wait was just 14 months.

“Pierce has been good to us in getting those designed,” said Sam Thrash, president of Flower Mound Professional Firefighters Association. “But when you're looking at 40 months, cities can't wait that long. A fleet and fire trucks can't wait that long. You can't limp a fire truck that's aging out. You have to explore other options if that's the case.”

The issue of longer lead times is only one of the problems facing fire departments across the state as they look to replace equipment. The cost has gone up as well, just as municipalities are facing budget constraints. Firefighter unions are warning of future impact on residents in need. Some say they’re already in dire straits.

The New York Times reported in January that the three largest fire truck manufacturers, including Pierce, have been plagued by delivery delays and soaring costs as Wall Street firms take over and consolidate the industry.

The Flower Mound Fire Chief Paul Henley will talk with town council on Thursday to talk about the department’s performance and cost to taxpayers. It’s part of a “Value of Municipal Services” series that has brought all town departments in front of the council.

Deputy mayor pro tem Adam Schiestel has been aware of long wait times for fire trucks and has looked to cities, like Nashville, who have used smaller trucks in areas where calls are more likely to be for medical assistance rather than a house fire. He would like Flower Mound to be a leader in the DFW area in that realm.

“I’m hoping the fire chief is willing to rethink the equipment we’re using,” Schiestel said.

The life of a fire truck is 10 to 15 years, Thrash said. Flower Mound’s entire fleet was replaced between 2016 and 2019 – butting some of the trucks against the beginning stages of retirement.

“We have several apparatus that have ongoing fleet and maintenance issues, more than they did 3 or 5 years ago,” Thrash said.

In Bryan, the firefighters association has blasted city leaders in recent weeks for failing to address issues with aging trucks. The union has written several pointed posts on Facebook and showed up en masse to city council meetings asking for more funding. A few days ago, the department had to use a borrowed training truck in a real emergency.

Flower Mound isn’t there yet, Thrash said, but it could be if equipment isn’t replaced in a timely manner in the next few years. In addition to delays on the production line, unions are warning the public about tax-related legislation at the state level.

In 2019, the Texas Legislature passed a bill that requires voter approval before local governments can raise property tax rates more than 3.5 percent. Last session, a bill that would have lowered that limit to 1 percent failed to pass.

"What citizens need to realize is when that happens, it's going to get to the point where city services are going to suffer,” Thrash said.