Berlin FD Welcomes New Tanker Truck

BERLIN, CT — The Berlin Volunteer Fire Department this week engaged in a little-known ritual that celebrates the receipt of new firefighting vehicles.

Called a "push-in ceremony," this rite of passage for any truck/vehicle entering the BVFD's fleet features volunteers, literally, pushing and rolling the vehicles into BVFD's fire station.

Recently, the department did this to welcome a new tanker truck into its fleet, the BVFD wrote in an announcement Tuesday.

The BVFD said the "push-in" ceremony dates back to the 1800s, when firefighting apparatus were powered by horses, not diesel engines.

Back then, when a fire department received a new vehicle, the horses couldn't back them into the bays, requiring firefighters to do the job themselves en masse.

Of course, these days, it's not possible (or safe) for people to push a truck weighing several tons, so the rite is more ceremonial than functional.

"With a bit of a push from our membership (and a little assistance from modern diesel technology), we're happy to say our new engine is in service," wrote the BVFD.

Named Engine 8, the new truck is a GPM Pierce Heavy Duty Rescue Pumper, in the words of the BVFD, "built with the growing community in mind."

Despite being subject to a "push-in" ceremony, the truck is not quite ready to go into full service, with just a bit of fine-tuning required before that can happen.

For more information on the Berlin Volunteer Fire Department, click on this link.

To watch the 'push-in ceremony' for the BVFD's new tanker, click on this link.