A firefighting tradition of spraying water and a good wiping down marked the start Tuesday of a new fire engine’s career with the Bluefield Fire Department. The new 2017 Seagrave Pumper fire engine, a state of the art front line pumper, is replacing one engine, a 2007 HME Engine 1, at the department’s central station, Fire Chief Rick Cary said. The 2007 engine will be sent to Station 3 on Cumberland Road to replace a 20-year-old American LaFrance engine which will be placed as a reserve at the central station. The old LaFrance engine was retired Tuesday after 20 years of service.
The increased fire fees allowed the city to purchase the new engine, Cole said. It was designed to handle the city’s steep streets and tight turns; an engine purchased “off the shelf” would not have suited Bluefield’s needs. The new engine cost approximately $500,000.