Buffalo Adds 105 Leased Police Vehicles and Starts $31 Million Fire Apparatus Lease

Source: City of Buffalo ↗

Buffalo, New York, has committed approximately $31 million for 28 fire vehicles under a 10-year lease-to-own agreement and $2.1 million to lease 105 police vehicles, with both investments included in the city’s 2026-27 budget adopted in May. Mayor Sean Ryan announced the investments Oct. 28 as officials unveiled the new vehicles.

The Buffalo Fire Department will take delivery of 19 fire engines and nine ladder trucks. Fire Commissioner Daniel Pizarro said 70% of the department’s fleet will be replaced by the end of 2029. Rosenbauer will maintain the new apparatus under the terms of the city’s agreement. Pizarro said the department expects to save roughly $50,000 per apparatus annually in maintenance once the replacements are in service.

“We have frontline units that are over 20 years old. We’re talking about 20 years when the average should be around 10 years,” Pizarro said. He added that suitable existing apparatus will move into reserve service as new units enter the frontline fleet.

Ryan said the purchases address overdue equipment needs. “This is one of the largest apparatus orders in the department history, but make no mistake, we need it,” Ryan said. “It’ll help us replace our highest priority aging vehicles and plan more effectively for future needs.”

The Buffalo Police Department expects 62 marked and 43 unmarked vehicles by January 2027. Of those 105 vehicles, 24 have already arrived: seven marked and 17 unmarked. The city also plans to replace the police fleet over five years.

Police Commissioner Erika Shields said vehicle shortages have forced officers to share cars, cutting the number of units available for patrol. “We’ve had to double up patrol officers routinely because we simply do not have the vehicles to go out,” Shields said. “And so, what this means is, per district, you have fewer vehicles that are out patrolling, out answering calls.”

Shields said some unmarked vehicles in the current fleet have topped 200,000 miles and have rusted-out floors with parts falling off.

Deputy Mayor Ben Swanekamp said the leasing structure is meant to put the city on regular replacement cycles with more predictable budgeting, moving away from the periodic bond-funded vehicle purchases the city had relied on.

The city’s lease-to-own arrangement for the fire apparatus locks in pricing while spreading payments across 10 years.