Go Fund Me accounts are typically established to help someone experiencing financial strife due to a myriad of issues such as illness, death or loss of a home.
IAFF Local 500 established the account seeking $1.5M to purchase the rig after the city said it didn't have money to buy one, according to Cleveland.com.
After city officials promised firefighters they were purchasing an ambulance and a fire truck, they reportedly said there wasn't enough money, even after a pot had been set aside.
An ambulance was eventually purchased, but due to the funding shortfall, the engine was sold to another department.
As of Wednesday evening, the account showed $60 had been donated toward the purchase of the custom-built Pierce.
"One hundred something million in funds the city got and it is no where to be found. No one knows where it is at. We are all asking where did that money go? It didn't go in our salaries. We are one of the lowest paid fire departments. There have been times in my career where guys have had to go on food stamps," firefighters told Cleveland 19.
Mayor Brandon King said of the allegations: "We are having some issues internally that we are working through to provide that. Certain steps need to be taken both from the administration and from legislation, from a legislative perspective, to get that truck to make that happen. Rest assure we have two ladder trucks. One is about five years old. We have two pumpers, and we have four EMS trucks."
