Excerpts from jg-tc.com:
Last year, Charleston joined several other cities in the area in a class action lawsuit against Pierce Manufacturing, Inc. and Global Fire Equipment, Inc. claiming that they violated the terms of the warranty on the fire trucks they had made for the cities.
Charleston purchased two fire trucks in the early 2000s over a five-year period from the company.
Tim Meister, Charleston Fire Department assistant fire chief, said at the time that there is a lifetime warranty on the frame of the fire trucks for rust and corrosion damage, and currently, all three have varying degrees of rust on the frame. The city claimed that the company has not repaired or replaced the frames even though it is spelled out in the warranty to do so.
After some back and forth between attorneys involved in the case, a tentative agreement has been made.
Charleston Fire Chief Steve Bennett said one truck would get an entirely new rail and another would get repairs to the existing rail on the truck in the settlement. Both would be sent in for repair and replacement one at a time with a loaner truck provided.
Other terms of the agreement include:
- Charleston paying $13,333 for the frame rail replacement, receiving credit of equal value to be used toward other repairs and trucks from Pierce.
- Pierce will pickup and deliver the trucks from the city.
- Pierce will pay attorney costs.
- Pierce will provide recommended written maintenance practices and service bulletins regarding maintenance.
- Pierce will continue to honor existing warranties on the trucks
Today, council members will vote on whether they accept the new terms of the agreement at their meeting set for 6:30 p.m. at Charleston City Hall, 520 Jackson Ave.
The settlement included in the meeting documents did not include that of the other cities involved in the lawsuit.
