Morgan Fire Department celebrates tradition with fire truck Push-in Ceremony
Nov 15, 2024 11:00AM ● By Verlene Johnson
Fire fighters along with the community push Engine 121 into service. Photo by Averyella Johnson
After months of preparing their new engine, Morgan Fire Department pushed Engine 121, a 2024 Pierce Saber Pumper, into the fire station and into service.
The push-in ceremony is a time-honored tradition in the fire service, dating back to the era of horse-drawn fire wagons. Since horses couldn’t back up, firefighters would manually push their rigs back into the station. Today, the ritual marks the arrival of a new piece of equipment, symbolizing its service to both the department and the community.
In honor of those early firefighters, the Morgan Fire Department invited the community to join in pushing the new engine into Station 121 on Saturday, Nov. 9. Allowing the community to be part of the push-in symbolizes that the new engine belongs not just to the firefighters, but to the entire community it serves.
“This new engine represents more than just new equipment – it’s a commitment to serving our community with the best resources available,” said Chief Boyd Carrigan. Before the push-in, Carrigan thanked the community they are so very proud to serve. He also thanked those who worked to to make this all possible: his officer staff, the Morgan County Commissioners, Fire Marshall Dave Rich, Deputy Fire Chief Shawn Waller, Deputy EMS Chief Erica White along with all the EMT providers and Firefighting Staff.
After additional remarks from Waller and White, who expressed gratitude for their well-trained firefighters and EMS workers, Carrigan said, "Let's get this engine home and ready for service!" Community members, along with firefighters, pushed Engine 121 as Firefighter Spenser Johnson steered the truck into its new home.
Although Engine 121 had responded to calls prior to the ceremony, just 15 minutes after being officially placed in service, firefighters were paged to an emergency. Engine 121 quickly pulled out of Station 121, marking its first official response. The community had the opportunity to witness firsthand the speed and efficiency with which their firefighters respond to calls. λ
