VIDEO: Longview Fire Department Station 5 received a new rescue-style pumper engine after years of waiting for the ordering process to complete. The department honored tradition by pushing the fire apparatus into the station for the first time, a practice that dates back to horse-drawn carriages when firefighters had to unhook from horses and push their carriages into the station after calls.
โToday is the day that weโre going to push in our new engine five. Itโs a great day for the organization, for the citizens, and especially for the crews here at station five,โ a department official said.
The new engine provides larger capabilities with more equipment to serve citizens on the west side of town. Station 5 is one of the departmentโs special operations stations that handles rope rescues, diving and swift water rescue operations.
Before pushing the engine into the station, firefighters washed it with water from their old engine as a symbolic replacement of the old with the new. The department expects the new apparatus to serve the community for 10 to 15 years, which is the typical lifespan for fire engines.
