Belen Fire Department celebrates ‘push-in’ of new fire engine

BELEN—The Belen Fire Department held a time-honored tradition of a “push-in” ceremony to mark the addition of a new fire truck to their fleet.

At the special event Saturday, Nov. 16, Hub City firefighters pushed the new $563,000 vehicle into the fire station. Taxpayers also paid another $40,000 or so to equip the new engine.

Belen Fire Chief Charles Cox said the department is excited to have the 2023 Ferrara fire engine, which pumps 2,000 gallons of water per minute and has a six-man cab.

The tradition of a “push in” dates back to the 17th century when firefighters would push horse-drawn steam fire engines back into the firehouse after each call. Horse-drawn and steam-powered engines were used, and firefighters would detach the horses and push the engines into the station, Cox said. With the invention of motorized fire engines in the 19th century, the need to push them in was eliminated, but the tradition continues today.

In 2020, the fire department realized they needed to start looking for a new engine, but the cost of a brand new engine was too expensive. Cox said the BFD was lucky enough to find two new engines in Albuquerque, and even more lucky to get them at pre-Covid prices.

“When we started to get funding for this, we were able to request legislative funding and a grant from the state fire marshal’s office,” Cox said. “We were able to get $250,000 from the grant, and we financed loan the other part and were able to purchase this engine.”

Cox said after the city purchased the engine, he received word the Legislature appropriated $591,000 for a second engine, which is currently being outfitted. The fire chief said the department will do another traditional ceremony for that truck in the spring, most likely a “wet down” of the new engine.”

“We’ve spent more than $1 million in the last two years on apparatus, and we’re finally getting them now — that’s how long it takes,” Cox said. “This one is replacing (another engine) that is no longer in service. We have another engine that’s more than 12 years old, so we’re being proactive.”

The fire chief said the next apparatus that needs to be replaced is the 23-year-old ladder truck. He estimates the cost will be about $2 million.

“We tried for a legislative appropriation last year for a new ladder truck, but we didn’t get it,” he said. “Hopefully, this next year we’ll be able to get the funding, because it’s way passed its prime and the maintenance cost is getting higher and higher.”