05/28/2026
🚒 You may have spotted our crew cruising around in our soon-to-be delivered new fire engine, and yes, we're just as excited as you are! But we wanted to share why this moment matters so much to our community.
Approved in June 2025, this engine cost $1,023,973, $900,000 sof that was saved over five years through mitigation funds, with the remainder from apparatus replacement savings. We will officially take ownership in 2026.
We chose a stock vehicle rather than a custom build, which kept costs down and avoided the nearly 4-year lead time custom engines now require. Finding a stock engine that matched our existing fleet still took close to a year.
The cost of fire engines has skyrocketed 📈
2021 average: $680,000
Today's average: $1.5 million
That's more than double in five years. Outside of this new engine, our fleet averages 10 years old - aging equipment means outdated technology, and our community deserves better.
We respond to thousands of emergency medical calls every year and two stations have had to close in recent years. Advance purchasing decisions like this one are how we work to stay ahead.
Without a new, steady funding source, future equipment investments will mean cuts elsewhere. This isn't mismanagement, it's the result of a funding model unchanged since 1981 and soaring equipment costs.
Learn more about our budget at southplacerfire.org/transparency
We are proud to serve this community — every call, every day. 🙏
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