Jack Lindner
Marietta Daily Journal, Ga.
(TNS)

MARIETTA — A little rain wasn’t going to stop Marietta officials from keeping with tradition Tuesday afternoon. To celebrate the Marietta Fire Department adding two new engines to its fleet, firefighters and City Council members helped push one of the trucks into the Station 55 garage.

The tradition — nicknamed a “push-in ceremony” — dates to the days of horse-drawn fire engines and equipment, according to Marietta Fire Chief Tim Milligan.

In the early days, firefighters would have to manually push their fire engine wagons into their stations since horses could not back them in. It has since been a tradition for firefighters to continue that legacy by pushing new engines into their stations themselves.

“The guys (firefighters) would take the horses off and push the old horse-drawn in,” Milligan said. “The (symbolism) of that has carried forward within the fire service for decades, and here we are.”

One of the department’s new engines will be located at Station 55, while the other will be stationed at Station 56 on Sawyer Road, according to Deputy Chief Joe Pacheco.

Both vehicles are more modern versions of their current engines, with no major changes to their equipment storage.

“That’s what we’re very fortunate about … We don’t have to stop what we are doing and retrain our folks to use these trucks,” Pacheco said. “These are cookie cutters of what we already have … so our downtime is minimal.”

Walker said each truck cost approximately $650,000, while all funds to pay for the new trucks were provided by the 2022 SPLOST, according to City Manager Bill Bruton.

Prior to the push-in ceremony, Bruton took a moment to thank city officials and taxpayers for their support of the fire department.

“I just want to thank the voters for allowing us to have this money to be able to do this, because we wouldn’t be able to do this otherwise,” Bruton said.

Councilman Johnny Walker echoed Bruton’s comments, calling the new trucks “taxpayer money well spent.”

“I want to let the people of Marietta know that SPLOST is very important because this is what we get,” Walker said. “We’ve got the best fire department in the state and this going to help make us even better.”

Milligan said the department is grateful the city and taxpayers are willing to provide them with up-to-date equipment to help make the community safe.

“I know our fleet team right now is taking a collective sigh of relief because we’ve got two new engines on the road, and they can take two older engines and do extensive repairs to them,” Milligan said. “We’re a very busy department, we cover a lot of miles in these trucks, and so to be able to swap out a third of your fleet is significant.”

© 2025 Marietta Daily Journal, Ga.. Visit www.mdjonline.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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BUFFALO, New York (August 5, 2025) – Colden Enterprises, a fire and emergency apparatus dealer and service provider in New York, announces the addition of Spencer Fire Trucks to its lineup of premier manufacturers. 
 
“We’re excited to welcome Spencer Fire Trucks to the Colden family,” said Kevin Brooks Jr, Vice President of Colden Enterprises. “Spencer’s focus on fully custom-built apparatus adds valuable flexibility to our portfolio. Their capabilities complement our existing lineup and allow us to better serve departments with unique requirements or tighter delivery timelines.”

As an authorized dealer, Colden Enterprises will represent Spencer Fire across New York State, providing sales, support, and service for Spencer’s line of pumpers, aerials, tankers, rescues, wildland units, and specialty apparatus. 

This partnership strengthens Colden’s ability to offer fire departments greater flexibility, shorter lead times, and access to American-made equipment. 

For more information on Spencer Fire visit www.coldenenterprises.com or contact the Colden sales team 
at info@condenenterprises.com. 

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WOODRIDGE, Illinois (July 2025) – Hendrickson announces the official launch of STEERTEK™ NXT front steer axle and suspension systems on Pierce’s Sabre & Enforcer chassis, HME’s1871 chassis, and E-One’s Typhoon & Cyclone chassis. The STEERTEK NXT front axle and suspension system utilizes a spring clamp group and a fabricated box-shaped axle.  

The features of Hendrickson’s STEERTEK NXT front axle and suspension system 
include: 

• Maximized Ride Comfort and Handling: The STEERTEK NXT system incorporates a custom-tuned shock and an optimized parabolic spring. A threaded pin bushing is utilized in the spring end allowing for simplification of spring alignment, longer service life, and improved roll stability. 

• Increased Maneuverability: The STEERTEK NXT system offers multiple Ackermann configurations along with a 45° cramp angle to achieve a tighter turning radius and greater maneuverability. 

• Reduced Maintenance: One-piece knuckle design helps reduce maintenance and downtime. Premium pin bushings and seals provide enhanced protection. 

About Hendrickson: 

Hendrickson, a Boler company, is a leading global manufacturer and supplier of medium- and heavy-duty mechanical, elastomeric and air suspensions; integrated and non-integrated axle and brake systems; tire pressure control systems; auxiliary lift axle systems; parabolic and multi-leaf springs; stabilizers; bumpers; and components to the global commercial transportation industry. Hendrickson, based in Woodridge, IL., USA, continues to meet the needs of the transportation industry for more than 100 years. Visit Hendrickson at www.hendrickson-intl.com. 

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Bexar County (TX) Emergency Services District No.4 (BESD) welcomed Engines 132 and 134 on August 4 with a push-in ceremony. According to boernestar.com, BESD received the new vehicles just in time to retire two older engines.  

Captain Michael Schmitz shared that the original engines were built back in 2006. When choosing new vehicles this time around, they were custom built by Pierce.  

The new pumpers are built on a Pierce Enforcer chassis powered by a 510-hp PACCAR MX-13 engine and feature a TAK-4 Independent Front Suspension. They also include a 1500-gpm Waterous Midship pump and carry 1000 gallons of water. 

The two trucks were purchased after three years of saving tax revenues. Each engine costs around $900,000 each. The entire process from order to delivery took 30 months.  

BESD 4 ordered a ladder truck as well, but that isn’t expected until February of 2028.  

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The Redding (CA) Fire Department revealed the meticulous maintenance work that ensures its fire apparatus are always ready for emergencies, according to a report by krcrtv.com.

At Station 8, Fire Engineer Chase Rulofson is responsible for conducting a comprehensive daily review of the rigs, which includes checking everything from sirens to brakes and pumps, the report said. At the beginning of every shift, Rulofson has to do a full D.O.T. (Department of Transportation) check, making sure all components are inspected.

Engineers, who drive the engines and pump the water, undergo a rigorous test that can take up to five years to complete, according to the report.

The city’s specialized fire mechanic team is on standby to perform necessary repairs, the report said.

In addition to the daily checks, the department also conducts more in-depth weekly and monthly inspections to ensure its rigs are always ready to serve the public.

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