Join Us for a Push-In Ceremony on November 8
Due to inclement weather, the push-in ceremony will be held inside at Station 281.
BIG BEAR, CA/October 26, 2022 – Big Bear Fire Department has received delivery of a new Pierce Arrow XT 4x4 Pumper Engine for Station 283 in Sugarloaf.
Medic Engine 283 is powered by a heavy-duty Cummins X12 engine, and has an XT chassis. The 500- gallon on-board water tank allows firefighters to immediately begin fire suppression efforts prior to connecting to the nearest hydrant. When connected to hydrants or alternate sources of water, the new engine has the ability to pump up to 1,500 gallons per minute. A clean cab concept is incorporated, where dirty or contaminated protective clothing and equipment from fire scenes is transported for decontamination back to the fire station in outer compartments, and not in the cab with firefighters.
The new engine was made possible as part of a three-year fleet replacement plan that includes a comprehensive financing package with favorable interest rates. Fire Chief Jeff Willis states, “This addition to our existing fleet of apparatus provides a contemporary, updated engine that will allow the Department to continue to provide excellent fire and life safety services in our community for decades to come.”
The public is invited to join us for a Push-In Ceremony on Tuesday, November 8, at 2:00 p.m. as we commission our new pumper engine. The ceremony will take place at Station 283 located at 550 Maple Lane in Sugarloaf. Come lend a hand as Big Bear firefighters wash the new engine and push it into the apparatus bay, ready for service!
The Push-In Ceremony is a time-honored tradition in the fire service. Beginning in the 1800’s, after crews returned from a call on horse-drawn equipment, the animals were unable to back into the station, requiring members to detach the horses and push the equipment into the bay. When the first motorized fire engines were put into service in the early 19th century, firefighters continued to honor the push-in tradition which now celebrates the purchase of new apparatus by fire stations across the nation.
