City of South Lake Tahoe sues fire truck company

In 2014, City of South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue (SLTFR) took possession of a 2013 model Ferrara ladder truck at the tune of almost $1,050,000. It was purchased to replace the aging ladder truck SLTFR had from 1982 and paid for with funds from California sales tax money devoted to public safety.

SLTFR has had nothing but problems since it arrived and they have now sued Ferrara Fire Apparatus out of Louisiana for the cost of the truck. The City has employed a "lemon law" attorney that specializes in these matters, someone who will seek the expenses of the truck plus attorney fees according to SLTFR Chief Jeff Meston.

The Ferrara has been in the shop for much if its existence in South Lake Tahoe, and it has now been out of service for 13 months.

"We bought a piece of fire apparatus that was not designed well and has not worked as we expected it to," said Meston.

Meston said he reached out to Ferrara on many occasions, and at the beginning the fire truck company returned calls and assisted with repair, that is, until the incident 13 months ago when the truck broke down on the way to the commemoration of the new public safety memorial at Happy Homestead Cemetery.

"They stopped returning phone calls," said Meston.

Since they had a truck that failed to meet expectations, and with no responses from the manufacturer Meston said they had no choice but to sue.

The process of suing started when former City Attorney Tom Watson was still with the City, and has now continued into Nira Dougherty's time at the helm. The pending lawsuit has been a part of City Council closed sessions at times over the past few months, but with a lawsuit not filed at the time officials didn't want to show their hand on their legal hand.

Both sides are now talking and working out a financial solutions, Meston said.

The ladder truck operates in two-wheel drive, four-wheel drive or six-wheel drive. According to Meston, the company drove the truck out to South Lake Tahoe in six-wheel drive, a move he feels caused all subsequent problems.

Besides the truck's issues, when it arrived in 2014 its home at Station 2 across from South Tahoe Middle School was not big enough to house it. Public Works added on to the back of the station, making it long enough for the truck to be enclosed.

It is now being housed at the airport in a hangar.

For the time being, Tahoe Douglas Fire is working with South Lake Tahoe and will supply one of their trucks if needed.

The next court date for City of South Lake Tahoe Vs. Ferrara Fire Apparatus, Inc is scheduled in El Dorado County Court on May 8, 2018.