A “push-in” in the context of fire departments refers to a time-honored ceremonial tradition in which firefighters physically push a new fire engine into the fire station, signifying its official entry into service and marking a symbolic welcome to the fleet, often done with community members present to celebrate the new vehicle.
This practice originates from the era when firefighters had to manually push horse-drawn fire engines back into the station after each call. This tradition dates back to the 17th century.
Celebrating the arrival of a new unit has been a source of pride for fire department across north America for over a century.
Beginning in the 1800s, 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. Over time, with the invention and adoption of motorized firetrucks, the need to manually move the equipment was gone.
Now, in honor of those early firemen, many departments hold a pushin ceremony when taking delivery of a new truck.
Congratulations to the Rockdale Volunteer Fire Department on your new brush truck and your first push-in.
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