CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. — As fire departments and EMS agencies across the country face increasing apparatus costs and production delays, a new online marketplace, Garage, is being used by some departments to buy and sell used emergency vehicles more efficiently and cost-effectively.
The market for new fire trucks and ambulances has grown increasingly difficult, as supply chain disruptions push delivery times to one to two years for ambulances and up to five years for fire trucks, CBS New York reported. At the same time, prices have climbed sharply, with many new fire apparatus now costing more than $1 million, according to the International Association of Fire Fighters and the American Economic Liberties Project.
Founded by a former volunteer firefighter who understood the difficulties departments face in trading apparatus across regions, Garage offers a streamlined platform designed to connect fire and EMS agencies nationwide. Unlike traditional local auctions or word-of-mouth sales, the platform functions much like popular consumer marketplaces but specializes in essential, highly specialized emergency vehicles and equipment.
The Central Islip-Hauppauge Volunteer Ambulance Corps turned to Garage to sell used emergency vehicles as a way to help fund new lifesaving equipment, Long Island News 12 reported.
“We average just under 8,000 calls a year, so we have a lot of wear and tear on our ambulances,” Chief of Department Jennifer Falcone said. “Garage is really good for us because we were able to resell our vehicles and we use that money to purchase new equipment.”
Garage CEO and co-founder Martin Hunt said several Long Island departments have already used the platform:
- Rocky Point Fire Department sold a brush tanker truck for $13,000.
- South Farmingdale sold an engine for $170,000.
- Central Islip sold two used command units for nearly $60,000.
Department officials have long reported difficulty recovering value from used apparatus, with some rigs sold at steep losses. The Garage platform said it is intended to connect those vehicles with smaller or rural departments, where they can remain in service for years.
Garage said it aims to help departments nationwide improve financial efficiency by maximizing resale value, maintain operational readiness by providing faster access to used apparatus, and add transparency and security to transactions involving emergency vehicles and equipment.
How is your department dealing with rising apparatus costs and long delivery times? Would you consider buying or selling used rigs through an online marketplace?
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