In a nod to tradition and history, the Farmington Public Safety Department held a ceremonial event last night to welcome its newest fire apparatus, Engine One, by pushing it into the station bay — a ritual that dates back to the 19th century.

In the days of horse-drawn fire engines, firefighters would detach the horses outside the station and manually push the heavy, steam-powered engines into their bays, as horses could not back the trucks into the building. Although today’s fire trucks are fully motorized, this time-honored tradition lives on, symbolizing teamwork, pride, and respect for the legacy of the fire service.

The City of Farmington was able to purchase the new Pierce Saber Fire Engine thanks in part to $750,000 in state funding. Public Safety Director Bob Houhanisin expressed gratitude to Senator Mary Cavanagh, State Representative Jason Hoskins, and State Representative Kelly Breen for securing the funding that made the acquisition possible.

Representative Hoskins attended the ceremony and thanked the Farmington Public Safety Department for its dedication to the community. Mayor Joe LaRussa also addressed attendees, acknowledging the department’s commitment and sacrifice in keeping Farmington safe and well cared for. Before the truck was pushed into the bay, it was blessed by Pastor Deborah O’Dell, chaplain for Farmington Public Safety.

The new fire engine is replacing one that was purchased in 1994; it features state-of-the-art technology and innovate safety features.  It is customized to meet the needs of our department. Along with Director Houhanisin, Commander Todd Anderson and Sergeant Michael Wier were on the build team for the new truck.

“The new engine carries 750 gallons of water and can pump 1500 gallons per minute,” explained Director Houhanisin. “It carries just shy of a half mile of firehose and is equipped with high-intensity- LED lights. This firetruck was built with safety in mind.  It hosts an internal roll cage and utilizes airbags to protect the firefighters in the event of a crash.”

“Now that the new engine is in service, the old truck will be decommissioned.  We look forward to years of service with the new engine,” concluded Director Houhanisin.