The Winnfield Fire Department’s newest truck, pumper Engine 2, was officially inducted into the city’s firefighting fleet during a dedication ceremony held at noon April 27 at the department.
The Spartan-manufactured engine is equipped with all the necessities to help the department work this year towards the goal of lowering the city’s insurance rating from a Class 3 to a Class 2, officials say.
Engine 2 carries 1,000 gallons of water and has a wheel base slightly shorter than other models which will improve negotiating tight turns through streets. The pumper engine, arrived at a cost of $630,000 to the city once it was totally fitted out with equipment.
The celebration opened at 11 with light refreshments, a bounce house for children, demonstrations of the new engine, safety equipment and the history of both the department and of fire protection through the years.
On hand to show support were friends and family and members of Winn Parish Fire District No. 3. Mark Treadway from the State Fire Marshal’s Office, to assure that the state will provide needs as requested by the department, adding that Chief Brian Montgomery has the best interests of the community at heart through training and safety programs.
City Councilman Matt Miller commented that he is proud of the department and of the staff and volunteers who serve with it to protect the community.
Chief Montgomery made a presentation in which he described not only the department’s history but traced the age-old origins of the dedication ceremony. This including a wetting of the wheels, so children and firefighters alike enjoyed tossing cups of water on the engine’s tires. Then he told how the horse-drawn wagons had to be pushed by hand back into the station after a fire. This action was also incorporated into the dedication tradition. Firefighters performed this on Engine 2.
(Following are Chief Montgomery’s comments):
The Winnfield Fire department is rich in history, from its original organization efforts in 1908 until this present year, for 116 years this fire department has seen and experienced a multitude of changes much of which was for the greater good of the community.
It has grown from an all volunteer department to 10 full time fireman as well as part time and volunteer staff who respond to all fire alarms, haz mat related calls, 911 medical emergencies, vehicle accidents and much more.
Our present department staff has the most proactive and aggressive certification program in its history documenting hundreds and collectively thousands of training hours every year. We answer without prejudice, nearly 700 calls yearly with a steady increase from year to year.
And because every firefighter and first res ponder also deserves the right to return home to their family of loved ones, we rely upon adequate and dependable equipment I order to complete the task of our called profession.
Today it is with great joy and thankfulness that we dedicate and commission our new fire engine number 2.
It is a new Spartan Fire chassis equipped with state of the art technology and it will replace a 1976 model Mack Fire truck that has been in service for the past 48 years.
The fire service is rich with many traditions, one of which is the tradition of pushing of the truck along side with a wet down ceremony. Early hand drawn fire engines, ladder wagons, hose carts, and other apparatus of the 17th century had to be pushed back into the station by hand after every call.
The horse drawn steam engines that followed in the 18th century could be backed up, however having to control the horses made it difficult to align the engines steam connections with the stations steam connections.
For this reason the horses were typically disconnected and the engine was again pushed back into the station by hand along with washing the wheels or tires with buckets of water before storing for the next call.
When the first motorized fire engine was put into service in the early 19th century, firefighters continue to honor the push in tradition, which grew to mark each new purchase of fire apparatus along side a wet down ceremony.
After every wet down, fire engines were ceremoniously pushed back into the station in a grand display of homage and fire service unity. Today the Winnfield Fire Department wishes to carry on this age old tradition in the dedication of fire engine number 2.
Prayer:
Dear Lord, as we are gathered here today to celebrate the dedication of this new fire truck engine number 2, of the Winnfield fire department, we are extremely grateful and humbled that our city officials, members of our community, and extended fire family have gathered for this grand occasion.
And we give thanks for your blessings and the delegation of funds by our city officials who share the vision and realize the necessity of modern and dependable equipment of which our first responders rely upon to fulfill their responsibilities in the most effective and safe manner.
And we thank you for all of those dedicated men and women who answer the call both day and night. Who unselfishly give of their time, efforts and energy, many times sacrificing their own personal pursuits.
It is our prayer as we dedicate this new fire truck engine number 2, that your hand of protection be the guiding light that leads the way, watching over its driver operators and its passengers from every in route call to every back in quarters.
May every response deliver with it the skilled and trained res ponder that will render aid to the hurt or injured, to the brave firefighter who may risk it all to save one from the flames, and the attack team who will defeat the fire.
Make its lights and sirens be a beacon of hope for those who are in distraught and the inspiration of the child who aspires to be a fireman.
And finally we pray for unity of our members to depend on one another and lean upon one another as fireman, as brothers, as family.
For all of these things we pray in Jesus Name. Amen
