College Station Fire Department adds new fire engine to the fleet

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KBTX) – The College Station Fire Department added a new engine to the fleet, an investment dedicated to the residents in the community.

The new fire truck features modern technology and equipment to respond to any emergency in College Station, allowing for a quicker response when seconds count.

The all-hazards engine will respond to fires, EMS calls and more, replacing a truck that was in service for 20 years. It will have new equipment for absorption, containment, and decontamination as well as new technology for air monitoring, sampling, and identification.

At College Station Fire Department Station 6, there was a “push in” ceremony where the firefighters manually pushed the new engine inside the station.

“The “push in” ceremony is tied to fire service legacy,” Richard Mann, College Station Fire Chief, said. “It dates all the way back to the 1800s and is a way we honor our early pioneers in the fire service. Back in the day, hose wagons and steamers were horse-drawn fire apparatus. Upon returning back to the fire station after a fire, they would disconnect the wagon and steamers from the horses, they would then back the apparatus and the wagons back into the fire stations to prepare for the next response. Over time, the need to manually back things into the fire station has been removed, however, the legacy of the “push in” ceremony was one that has been secured in fire service tradition and legacy as a way to honor those early crews when we take delivery of a new fire apparatus.”

The engine also carries a 750-gallon water tank and a 1,500-gallon-per-minute pump.

Chief Mann gave remarks at the ceremony.

“It does symbolize the beginning of a new era, the beginning of a new apparatus being positioned into a place of service for this community, and as it’s backed in, it’ll be ready for the next call for this community to assist,” said Mann. “We wanted to find the best product at the best value that would serve this community in the best way possible.”

Chief Mann thanked the City Council, City Management, Fleet Services Department, Siddons‐Martin Emergency Group, and Pierce Manufacturing.

Driver Engineer Garrison Jenkins said this new truck will allow the station to run more smoothly.

“It’s a brand new truck so it’s going to break down a whole lot less often, and we’re not going to have to deal with some of the older equipment that we’ve had. Super nice to have something new that we can hopefully keep it nice and clean and tidy for a while,” said Jenkins.

The state-of-the-art fire engine is designed to be a frontline response unit for the next 15 years and is expected to respond to over 25,000 calls during its service life.

“The residents in College Station are going to know that they have a fire department that has up-to-date equipment, they have reliable fire trucks that are going to be able to get on scene quickly and effectively,” said Stuart Marrs, the Public Information Officer with College Station Fire Department.