The sisters paid homage to their great-grandfather, Harold Brodt, a former Seguin firefighter, by lending a hand during the Push-In Ceremony on Monday at Seguin Fire Station No. 2. "It just fills my heart because my daddy was so much a part of the fire department," grandmother Carla Mergele said.
The 2016 Pierce Enforcer will replace the engine that has served the city for 20 years, Skinner said.
The engine includes an large cab that allows for more space for the firefighters, and the equipment they need for various situations, including helping patients since firefighters also double as paramedics,
"It has a 1,500 gallon a minute pump, just like the rest of our fire trucks do, but this one carries 1,000 gallons of water," he said. "The reason we did that is because it serves the west side of town, which has a little more rural area. So, we wanted to be better prepared with the water."
On the back of the truck, the firefighters wanted to personalize it by paying tribute to the firefighters who died on Sept. 11, 2001.
"If you notice on the back, it says keep back 343 feet," Skinner said. "That is in memory of the 343 firefighters who were lost on 9-11; a little tribute to our fallen. It has the twin towers behind the 343. I felt that was a nice touch."
After Billings and Kirkpatrick placed an American flag on the back of the truck, Skinner invited the guests to assist in the tradition.