Fire Department Welcomes New Engine 5

Exeter, NH - July 29th, 2024: How many firefighters does it take to push a 45,700-pound fire engine into the station by hand? In Exeter, it takes exactly NINE and ONE fire chief.

In what has become a time-honored tradition, members of the department, their families and town officials gathered this morning for a “push-in ceremony” to officially bring our new Engine 5 into service.

The ceremony follows a tradition in the fire service that dates back to the 1700s when firefighters had to push their hand-drawn apparatus back into the station after each call. They continued pushing by hand after the arrival of horse-drawn steam engines like our very own Amoskeag Steamer, which was purchased in 1873 and designated the “Eagle.”

While Exeter transitioned to all motorized apparatus in the 1920s, our department and many others have held formal “push-in ceremonies” to officially introduce new fire engines and place them into service. With apparatus becoming larger and more technologically advanced, weight has increased and firefighters must use all of their might to make the big push, but our members were happy to lend a hand to keep this tradition alive and honor the generations of firefighters who came before them.

Before the ceremony, Lt. Tim Sirois (aka Mr. Fix It) performed the practical transition by switching over the license plates.

Engine 5, built by E-ONE, was approved by voters in 2022 and is replacing a 22-year-old pumper.

“This is a big day for Exeter. When you buy a piece of fire equipment the expense is pretty significant. We recognize that our department only has this piece of equipment because of the taxpayers and their support, which we greatly appreciate,” Fire Chief Justin Pizon said.

Among other things, the new Engine 5 has more safety features than the older engine. “The safety components of this pump are far superior to what you would find with our old Engine 5,” he said.

The new engine also has an exterior door that allows members to easily access the compartment where EMS equipment is stored on the vehicle, which is an Advanced Life Support level truck that carries much of the same equipment that’s found on an ambulance. With the old engine, that equipment could only be accessed from the inside.

The engine also has a light bar on the back that for the first time includes both red and blue flashing lights. “From a safety standpoint, research has indicated that having that break up in colors on a light bar significantly increases safety. So when we’re out on the highway and cars are going 75 mph, it’s really important for us to have that added visibility,” Chief Pizon said.

With the new and improved Engine 5 now in service, our members look forward to continuing to serve the Exeter community and protecting the health and safety of the public.