VIDEO: On Monday morning, the Natrona County Fire Protection District (NCFD) held a special โpush-inโ ceremony to welcome two new trucks, Engine 7 and Engine 13, to the fleet serving residents across Natrona County.
โTo be able to wash the vehicle and push-in a new trucks is kind of our reward for the hard work that gets put in the years that it takes to design and to work for and find the funding for these type of vehicles,โ said NCFD Chief Brian Oliver.
The push-in ceremony that folded the trucks into the NCFD fleet is a centuries old tradition. It dates back to the 19th century when firefighters used horse-drawn carts fitted with steam-pump hoses. Horses couldnโt back up with a cart, so, the cart was detached and pushed into the station by hand.
What some fire departments do 200-years later to honor that legacy is this: firefighters wash a new truck with water from the truck it is replacing. The crew then push the vehicles into the bay, replicating the act of pushing in the horse-drawn carts.
The new fire apparatuses will replace a previous Engine 7 and 13 that have been experiencing problems. The purchase was funded by 1-cent taxes, and impact funding from Dynamo Solar and NextEra Energy.
The two vehicles are sleek black and white pump trucks. Their grill features the initials NCFD in the center of an American flag. The emergency lights also light up the flag in red and blue. The visuals and equipment were designed by the Fire District.
โThis one is, believe it or not, is probably the most advanced fire truck in the state of Wyoming,โ said NCFD Engineer Ryan Grigg while showing Your Wyoming Link the features of Engine 13.
The trucks feature several enhancements including a new touchscreen controls that have condensed the many gauges and leavers of older trucks. This provides greater flexibility for crews.
