Truck 1 now in service: Tecumseh Fire and Rescue ‘pushes in’ new $2.3M aerial fire truck

Firefighters in Tecumseh held a ‘push in’ ceremony on Thursday, welcoming a new truck.

After a three year process, Tecumseh Fire and Rescue now has a 100-foot aerial truck to fight fires in large industrial buildings or high rises.

Firefighters, town councillors and provincial politicians celebrated the milestone with a ‘push in’ ceremony on Thursday.

It harkens back to the early days of the fire service, when hand-drawn or horse-drawn fire engines had to be pushed back into the fire station after each call.

Its a tradition they continues to commemorate the three-year process to buying a new truck, according to the fire chief.

“We have planned for this vehicle considering the changing nature of buildings in our community. The result of the 3-year planning and manufacturing process has been unveiled today, and we are grateful to enable an enhanced level of safety to our residents and businesses with this next-generation vehicle,” said Chief Wade Bondy. “This vehicle gives our emergency service team greater capabilities and upgraded safety features, providing added levels of assurance when responding to calls.”

“The Town is taking measures to address the changing needs of our community,” said Mayor McNamara. “Chief Bondy and his team have done an outstanding job of planning and procuring a vehicle that will serve larger and more complex buildings for years to come.”

Truck 1 as it will now be known increases their aerial truck capacity from the old 70-foot model.

It also offers improved safety features, better steering and cameras on all sides for better control of the aerial bucket, according to a town news release.