Most folks aren't aware that early hand-drawn fire apparatus - engines, ladder wagons and hose carts - had to be pushed back
into the station by hand.
The
horse-drawn steam engines that followed could be backed up by the engineers,
but it was difficult to align the steam connections on the engine with those in
the station, so the horses were disconnected and the steamers were also often
pushed back into the station by hand.
All
of this backing in by hand became moot when motorized
engines went into service. However, the fire service is deep into tradition and
some fire engine crews make every effort to pay homage to
past and old-time members that had to push their engines into the station by
hand. While
doing this honors former and retired firefighters, it is also intended to display
unity among the current generation.
Last
night, Santee firefighters honored this tradition by pushing our new red
engine into the station for the first time. The new will be stationed at Fire Station 4 on Cottonwood Ave. All on-duty personnel,
including our chief officers, were on hand to help push E4 into the station for
the first time.
A note from Fire Chief Richard Smith:
The new 2016 Pierce fire engine’s timely arrival is during the National Emergency Preparedness Month. Coupled with community education on wildfire and local disaster preparedness, the new engine is just one example of the City of Santee’s effort to maximize our service delivery to our community by utilizing the latest technology within our equipment.
The new 2016 Pierce fire engine’s timely arrival is during the National Emergency Preparedness Month. Coupled with community education on wildfire and local disaster preparedness, the new engine is just one example of the City of Santee’s effort to maximize our service delivery to our community by utilizing the latest technology within our equipment.
