PHOTO: The Catoosa Fire Department put its newest fire truck through a push-in ceremony on Thursday to honor firefighting traditions. CFD said modern fire trucks have replaced bucket brigades and horse-drawn fire buggies, but the “push-in” traditions from the early days of firefighting remain. Since horses cannot back equipment into a firehouse, firefighters had to push gear into the station manually. This practice evolved into a ceremonial event where the firefighters push a new engine into the firehouse to symbolize dedication to the community.
FOX23 spoke with Donnie Conley, Captain at the Catoosa Fire Department, about how the new engine will benefit the firefighters. “It is definitely an upgrade. It’s got the cameras, the whole nine yards. It has the headsets, it’s basically like a brand new vehicle that you would get. It has everything that you could imagine,” said Conley. City leadership and residents joined CFD at the ceremony to celebrate the commissioning of the new engine before officially putting it into service.
