Summerside launches new tradition to celebrate new fire truck

The fire department in Summerside, P.E.I., has a new pumper truck, and they marked its arrival with a tradition that is new to the city, but is centuries old in fire departments across the continent.

Firefighters gathered Sunday to push the truck back into its new home.

"In the early 1800s when they used to pull the steam engines or the hand pumpers with horses, the horses can't back them into the building. That's where the tradition started," said Chief Ron Enman.

"Right across North America it's been a tradition. I just thought it would be something we'd start here and we had a lot of fun with it."

Identical setups

The new pumper replaces a 25-year-old truck that had reached the end of its life span

Apart from being new, Enman said the new truck also will make work a little easier for firefighters because it is the same model as the other two pumpers at the station.

"They're identical and they're set up identical," he said.

"So if you're looking for a hydrant wrench on engine one or engine two, engine three, it doesn't matter what truck you're on when you go to that truck."

The new pumper truck cost $681,000.

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