Perry Fire Department adds new apparatus to fleet in Push-In ceremony 

PERRY — The Perry Fire Department added a brand new apparatus to the Davis Farm Fire Station on Thursday. Firefighters and members of the community participated in a “push in” ceremony, a tradition for fire departments nationwide. 

Assistant Fire Chief Kirk Crumpton said this tradition dates back to the late 1800s as a lot of the fire trucks were steam engines that were pulled by horses. 

“They would push the steam engine back into what they referred to as the stall because the firemen slept above the horses,” he said. “The horses didn’t always want to cooperate, so they would have to disconnect the steam engine and the firemen physically push that back in.” 

Crumpton added the fire service is rich in tradition, and have carried it on ever since. 

Having a new and improved apparatus for fire departments is essential. Crumpton said they owe it to the citizens and staff to have quality equipment whenever there is a call. 

“A citizen doesn’t want to hear that the fire truck broke down or it wasn’t available due to a mechanical issue,” he said. “We want to make sure we’re able to provide [quality equipment] to the citizens and for the safety of our guys.” 

Since firetrucks run all day and night, most of the time they “run them into the ground.” Crumpton said they watch what they’re spending for repairs and have established a replacement schedule. 

The Davis Farm Fire Station is located on the north side of the city, an area that has grown over the years. 

“With [the apparatus] being stationed on the north side of town, a lot of our call volume is increasing out here with the growth we’re seeing, so we have to keep up with them,” he said. 

Adding a new apparatus to the fleet is an investment for taxpayers and is significant for the fire department. Crumpton said apparatuses are not cheap and take a while to get delivered. He shared the apparatus was ordered in March 2023 and was delivered on December 17, 2025. 

He said the fire department also has to keep up with the changes in technology. Crumpton shared  having updated equipment better helps the safety of their firemen. 

The apparatus has a new form of technology called HAAS, which stands for Hazard Awareness Alert System. 

“If you’re using an app such as Waze or Google Maps, you no longer have to rely on seeing flashing lights or hearing a siren,” he said. “This technology is going to alert you in your vehicle that Perry Engine Two is approaching from whatever direction we’re approaching, and give you a little more heads up to make that last minute decision of where you’re going to pull [over] to try and get out of the way.” 

Other features Crumpton mentioned include a lower hose bed, which makes it easier to deploy hoses and barrier doors, which makes them more safe on the interstate. He said an apparatus that has a full size door cannot open if it’s too close to the guardrail. 

“Barrier doors allow us to be able to get closer to the guardrail and still be able to open the door and personnel exit safely,” he said.  

Fire Chief Lee Parker said this would not be possible without the support of Mayor Randall Walker and council members, City Manager Robert Smith and the citizens of Perry. 

“We sincerely thank you for placing your confidence in us to acquire modern, state of the art fire apparatus to respond to emergency calls in the City of Perry service area,” he said. “We also appreciate the work that goes on behind the scenes to make occasions like this possible.”