Published on April 14, 2022
The Maricopa Fire/Medical Department ushered in their newest engine with a traditional push-in ceremony earlier this week. Receiving a new engine has commonly been a source of pride for fire companies for over 100 years and the tradition carries on. The push-in is a time honored ceremony that dates back to horse-drawn steamer engines. Horses will not walk backwards when they are under a load so when a new steamer was delivered to a firehouse, the firefighters and members of the community would have to push it into the firehouse. The ceremony begins when the old engine is pushed out of the firehouse and everyone washed the v3ehicles as a thank you for the years of service. A bucket of water is transferred from the old engine to the new and the new one is washed by everyone in attendance before it is pushed into its new home inside the firehouse. Ladder Tender 571 is very unique as the design and paint were custom tailored specifically for the MDMD which makes this a one-of-a-kind vehicle that you can only find in the city of Maricopa. "Today was a great day for the City and our department as we officially put our newest fire apparatus in service," said Interim Fire Chief Brad Pitassi. "This new engine is an innovative apparatus engineered with the cutting technology for firefighting tools and equipment to ensure that we are providing the premiere fire and medical service that our community is entitled to." Watch a recap of the event below.