Push-in ceremonies to be held for new fire trucks, Dec. 5, at 2:00 and 3:00 pm
Photos courtesy of CCFR.
The fire truck push-in ceremony is a time-honored tradition in the fire service. Celebrating the arrival of a new unit has been a source of pride for fire departments across North America for over a century. Because fire trucks are a sizable purchase for small communities, a push-in ceremony is a means to bring the community together to see their tax dollars well-spent at a formal event.
Citrus County Fire Rescue is dedicating the community’s newest fire engine and aerial ladder truck with a traditional push in ceremony on Monday, December 5, 2022, at two locations:
LECANTO, FLORIDA - 2:00 PM
The aerial ladder truck (top photo) push in will take place at Station 23, located at 285 S. Kensington Ave. in Lecanto, Florida at 2:00 pm.
INVERNESS, FLORIDA - 3:00 PM
The fire engine (bottom photo) push in will take place at Station 8, located at 4333 S. Little Al Point in Inverness, Florida at 3:00 pm.
The dedication ceremony has been a tradition in the fire service since the days of horse drawn fire apparatuses. When fire apparatuses were pulled by horses, horses could not back the fire apparatus into the firehouse, so the crew would have to unhitch the horses in front of the firehouse. The crew would stable the horses, wash the apparatus, then push tt into the apparatus bay. This ceremony honors the history and traditions of the fire service, while wishing well upon all that serve on and are served by our community’s newest fire apparatuses.
The new aerial ladder truck is a 2022 Pierce Ascendant® 107’ heavy-duty aerial ladder. The state of the art aerial ladder’s devlopment specifications were established by members of the Citrus County Fire Rescue Tech Committee. The aerial ladder was purchased through Ten-8 Fire & Safety, LLC in Bradenton, Florida and manufactured by Pierce Manufacturing in Appleton, Wisconsin. This aerial ladder will serve as the front line apparatus at Station 23, replacing a 2009 Ferrara Igniter and a 2009 Sutphen Pumper.
The new engine is a 2022 Pierce Saber. The state of the art pumper’s development specifications were also established by members of the Citrus County Fire Rescue Tech Committee. The pumper was purchased through Ten-8 Fire & Safety LLC in Bradenton, Florida and manufactured by Pierce Manufacturing in Bradenton, Florida. This engine will replace a 2004 Pierce Contender.
“Citrus County Fire Rescue has been striving to achieve fleet standardization for the past nine years and have reached a monumental goal in agency history where every primary engine is standardized,” said Fire Chief Craig Stevens.
“This investment in our public safety infrastructure will allow the Citrus County Fire Rescue team to continue to provide excellent service to the citizens of Citrus County for years to come,” said County Administrator Steve Howard.
Citrus County Fire Rescue can be contacted by phone at (352) 527-5406, or 911 within Citrus County, Florida in the event of an emergency. Visit online at www.CitrusCountyFire.com, Facebook.com/CitrusCountyFireRescue, or Twitter.com/CitrusCoFire.