Firefighters participate in ceremonial push-in of new engine

Firefighters and visitors to Buckeye Fire Department Station 707 on Yuma Road participated in a time-honored tradition Thursday: The ceremonial push-in of a new engine.

The $1.2 million fire engine will serve Station 707 and the homes and businesses in the area near Yuma Road and Verrado Way.

The brand new engine, a pumper, was built specifically for Buckeye by Sutphen Fire Trucks in Dublin Ohio and supports two other fire trucks at the station, an aerial ladder truck and a tiller truck, which allows firefighters to navigate tight corners through Buckeye’s neighborhoods and business areas.

Thursday’s push-in ceremony honors the tradition of firefighters from horse-drawn carriage days when firefighters would return to a station, then carefully back their equipment in to be ready to go when called.

On Thursday, firefighters and guests gathered in front of the new engine, hosed it down then dried and polished the engine with specially made souvenir towels. The engine was then slowly pushed into the station in reverse as tradition dictates.

Station 707 is staffed by at least four firefighter/EMTs at all times to respond in the new engine which carries about 750 gallons of water, enough to knock down a fire before tapping into a hydrant, according to Rayne Gray, assistant fire chief.