Excerpts from jg-tc.com:
Charleston along with cities like Champaign are taking part 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 have made for the cities.
Charleston purchased two fire engines and ladder truck in the early 2000s over a five-year period from the company with a lifetime warranty on the frame of all three trucks for rust and corrosion damage, and currently, all three have varying degrees of rust on the frame.
Despite this, Charleston Fire Department Assistant Fire Chief Tim Meister and the city claim that the company has not repaired or replaced the frames even though it is spelled out in the warranty to do so, as they claim.
“There are multiple cities that have purchased these, same manufacturer, same years we have, and they are having the same issues,” Meister said.
So, the cities of Charleston, Champaign, Decatur, Normal, Bloomington, Peoria and Ottawa are taking action, according to city records. The law firm of Ancel Glink will represent the group of municipalities in the claims suit.
thanks Dan
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#1 by grumpy grizzly on June 18, 2017 - 9:49 AM
I believe Bloomington has been purchasing Emergency-Ones.
#2 by Crabby Milton on June 18, 2017 - 7:46 AM
Very true but PIERCE has been around since 1913 and SUTPHEN since 1890.
E-ONE since 1975 and while 42 years isn’t anywhere near 100 years, if a business can last 30 or more years, that must mean they are doing something right.
#3 by Rich on June 17, 2017 - 4:22 PM
I’ve always liked pierce trucks. But when it comes to long term seagrave. Has been there. They have been around basically for ever.
#4 by Michael M on June 17, 2017 - 12:39 PM
That is interesting about the MFD. About two years ago, there was a article about the MFD in Firehouse I believe, that said that they were now a all Pierce fleet. My how fortunes have changed. This article I believe said they have 45 Pierce Engines and 21 Pierce ladders. That’s a lot of trucks! Pierce needs to do a better job of taking care of a customer like the MFD! Also I believe that Madison is also a all Pierce fleet as well! Last year Beloit took delivery of two Pierce engines.
#5 by Crabby Milton on June 17, 2017 - 11:27 AM
That is a surprise John. It will be interesting if they do go in fact go with SEAGRAVE which would be nice since it’s a also a Wisconsin based builder.
That by no means that I would have a problem with SPARTAN or ROSENBAUER if they went with them.
The last SEAGRAVE that served Milwaukee was a 1964 which was built the same year as yours truly.
#6 by John Antkowski on June 16, 2017 - 10:57 PM
Well from what I heard around the department is that the MFD is done with Pierce also. The shop people refused the last 2 rigs Engine 8 and 13’s due to sub par workmanship and not following the specs of the apparatus. I’m also hearing rumors that SEAGRAVE might be in our future. The department has had tons of programs with the fleet of velocity engines. The original Pierce dash units held up much longer. I also heard that the last couple rounds of the Arrows were having trouble with the frames. I’m hoping for a new company all together and more user friendly apparatus for the city. John
#7 by LT501 on June 16, 2017 - 7:08 PM
Pierce has also lost ground with customers in Indiana. In the past few years, South Bend replaced four of its older Pierce engines with Rosenbauers, and two of its aging Pierce quints with Sutphens. Nearby Clay Fire had purchased four E-one engines to replace some of their Pierce units., while Notre Dame
chose HME to replace their Pierce engine. Yet both Clay and Notre Dame still maintain their 2004 Alfco engines, but mainly as reserve units.
#8 by CrabbyMilton on June 16, 2017 - 11:29 AM
Sounds accurate. I’ve also been told that PIERCE generally treats larger depts. better than the small to medium sized.
Milwaukee is a longtime PIERCE customer and has a long term contract with PIERCE. They tend to bend over backwards since obviously they don’t want to lose the contract. Being that Milwaukee seems to turn over the fleet seemingly every 15 years, it looks like a wonderful relationship and they get on average 2 or 3 nice new apparatus every year so if it rusts into nothing that’s ok since the new one is on the way. But if your a smaller suburban dept. they act like you’re a bother since you don’t buy that often anyway.
Every customer should be considered important but at the same time, perhaps it really pays to read the small print.
#9 by BG on June 16, 2017 - 8:44 AM
From what I understand, for the warranty to be valid, you have to have a frame inspection each year by Pierce. There is a yearly cost to do that, and a lot of depts dont pay attention to that clause until it is too late. Depts that buy the double wall frame to save money instead of buying a heavy duty single wall 13 inch frame are at risk. The rust gets in between and now there is a problem.
Long and short, I hope they did the inspections because otherwise the lawsuit is worthless.
#10 by CrabbyMilton on June 16, 2017 - 5:58 AM
In the case of West Allis which is that Milwaukee County suburb, they had bought PIERCE products for many years now has a SEAGRAVE pumper as well as another pumper and ladder on order. I was told by a higher ranking member of the WAFD that sure, they’ll pay more for SEAGRAVE but they know that SEAGRAVE uses stainless steel is critical areas so rust will be much less of a problem many years from now so they can keep them for at least 20 years. PIERCE also had some serious problems with TAK-4 which West Allis has had very serious problems.
Some will say that PIERCE isn’t to blame but rather the dealership network. That’s BS since it’s the obligation for PIERCE to put pressure on them to do right by the customer and they made the choice to affiliate with them.
I certainly hope that the PIERCE products rolling off the line now have these problems long corrected. However, it only takes one time to drive loyal customers away.
#11 by Mitch H on June 15, 2017 - 10:40 PM
Decatur just took delivery of a new Saber in the last 2 months, a 2015 Arrow XT 100′ tower stock truck, Springfield is big on Pierce also with Quantums and Arrow XTs, Pierce is losing ground fast in Central IL due to Global. Seeing E-One’s and Ferrara picking up sales in former Pierce only depts. Champaign and even Urbana have stepped away from Pierce on their last orders.
#12 by Michael M on June 15, 2017 - 5:04 PM
I agree why is Pierce not honoring their warranties? I also like PIERCE as well. Are all the rigs in question from the early 2000? Does anyone know if any Pierce rigs made in the last 5 years or so have any issues?
Peoria and Decatur I know were or are huge Pierce Customers. I know Peoria went with KME for a time, then went back to Pierce(I believe they have a 2015 Pierce tower ladder) and now might be with E-One.
I believe Decatur took delivery of a Pierce Impel within the last year or two as well.
#13 by CrabbyMilton on June 15, 2017 - 12:51 PM
The Milwaukee County suburb here is also having issues as stated in that post is going thru the same thing. Being jerked around and stonewalled is a sure fire way that PIERCE will end up like AMERICAN LaFRANCE if they don’t cut it out. I like PIERCE too but at what point did they decide to want to stink?