Community invited to Huckabay Volunteer Fire Department's ‘push-in’ ceremony for new brush truck.

Huckabay VFD's new brush truck. Photo/Ian McKenzie

Special to Beneath the Surface News

The Huckabay Volunteer Fire Department will host a traditional “push-in ceremony” for its newest piece of emergency equipment, Brush 703.

The community is invited to the ceremony, which will be held at 6 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 28, at the department.

The ceremony will mark the official placement of the new brush truck into service with the Huckabay Volunteer Fire Department and celebrate an important investment in the department's ability to protect Huckabay and the surrounding communities.

Brush 703 is currently receiving its final preparations for service, including electronics programming, equipment installation and other finishing work.

Once placed into service, the apparatus will strengthen the department's capabilities for responding to wildland and grass fires, structure fire support and other emergencies throughout the department's response area and surrounding communities when mutual aid is requested.

The push-in ceremony is a longstanding tradition in the American fire service with roots dating back to the era of horse-drawn fire apparatus.

After returning from a call, horses could not easily back the heavy equipment into the station, so firefighters would unhitch the horses and push the apparatus into the station by hand.

Modern fire departments continue the tradition when placing a new apparatus into service.

Members of the department and community come together to physically push the new truck into the station, symbolically welcoming it into the firehouse and beginning its service to the community.

"This truck is more than another piece of equipment in our station. It represents an investment in the safety of our firefighters and the people we serve," a press release from the department states.

"We are extremely proud to place Brush 703 into service, and we want our community to be part of that moment."

Members of the community will have an opportunity to see the new truck, meet members of the department and take photographs.

The department's volunteer firefighters dedicate their time to training, emergency response, equipment readiness and protecting the lives and property of the communities they serve.