It was a special day for the Town and the Red River Fire Department on Tuesday, December 7. An enthusiastic crowd of community supporters, including school children from the Red River Valley Charter School, witnessed a rare ceremony steeped in history and the long tradition of public service.
Officially, it was a Push-In Party with a group of firefighters and friends, including Mayor Linda Calhoun, literally pushing the new firetruck into the fire house on High Street.
In a brief ceremony Red River Fire Chief Deke Willis welcomed those in attendance and gave an explanation as to the origin and significance of a push-in. The tradition dates to the 1800s when horse-drawn apparatus were used by fire departments across the US. Upon returning to the station following a fire, the horses did not always want to back the fire equipment into the firehouse bays. The apparatus had to be detached and pushed into the firehouse by the fire crew, where it was prepared for the next call.
As for the new Engine 2, Willis explained, “We started this project at least ten years ago and ten months ago we were able to place the order for the apparatus.” It took seven months to get on the list to have it built.
The truck is made by Pierce Manufacturing, Appleton, Wisconsin, which manufactures customized fire and rescue apparatus and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Oshkosh Corporation. Acquired by Oshkosh in 1996, Pierce, founded in 1913, is the largest fire apparatus company in the world.
The truck holds 750 gallons and pumps 1,500 gallons per minute. It carries over 2,500 feet of hose, three different sizes of ladders, seats six firefighters and has a thermal imaging camera and a gas monitor.
Engine 2 replaces Engine 1, a 1989 model Pierce which will remain in service as a backup. Willis says that keeping Engine 1 on active reserve helps the RRFD ISO (Insurance Services Officer) rating which could impact how much homeowners pay for insurance. It also affects state funding.