Perry Fire Department christen three new trucks

The Perry Fire Department recently acquired three new fire trucks and they introduced them to the public on this past Saturday’s rainy morning. The three new vehicles consist of a 100’ Ladder Truck, a 1500 gpm Pumper, and a 750 gpm Mini-Pumper/Rescue.

Perry Fire Chief Lee Parker gave a general overview of each new apparatus. “This truck has a 100-foot ladder on it and it can raise up and take us up seven stories,” explained Parker, pointing at the 100’ Ladder Truck that was parked outside. “The pumper (1500 Pumper) is a big truck and it has 1500 gallons per minute. That’s what we use to fight structure fires with. The Mini (750) pumper over here we use for rescues but it does have a pump on it also. We use it for firefighting as well as for rush fires and things like that.”

Parker said that they purchased the tower (100’ Ladder) and the rescue truck (750) at the same time, as used vehicles. “The tower is a 2009 and the mini-pumper is a 2011,” said Parker. “The new engine (which was on call before the ceremony started) was purchased in May. The other two came in around February or March.”

The key reason the Perry Fire Department obtained new trucks was that the past vehicles and equipment were aging and the Fire Department needed a new apparatus. “Our ladder truck we had was a 1996 model, so it was an older one, only 75-foot tall,” said Parker, describing the need for new trucks. “We used to run rescues here years ago but the idea of a rescue truck is that two people can go out and run medical calls and leave the big trucks in the station. That takes the wear and tear off the big units.”

All three trucks cost just under $1 million, which came out of the City of Perry’s budget.

To introduce the new trucks to the public for the first time ever, the Perry Fire Department organized a “push-in” ceremony. A “push-in” ceremony is meant to honor a tradition that goes back to the days when fire departments used horse-drawn equipment.

“The push-in ceremony goes back to the 1800’s when the firemen would come back to the station and see the apparatus was horse-drawn during that time,” said Parker. “When the horses came back to the station, they unhitched the horses, washed them down, washed off the apparatuses, and the men would push them into the station.”

Parker explained that anytime fire departments got new trucks, the community would come out and help them push the trucks into the station. “We’re trying to re-create that tradition in the fire service,” said Parker.

Families of the firefighters, citizens of Perry, and Mayor James Faircloth, along with some Council members were in attendance to support the fire station and help push in the new trucks. Once in, people began using shammys to wipe down the rain off the vehicle from early that morning.

Parker then dove into what having new trucks means for the city of Perry. “We want the community to share this with us and we want to let them know that we appreciate everything they do for the Fire Department,” said Parker. “This is to give back to them a little and let them see our tradition and how proud we are of what they allowed us to have.”