AIRWAY HEIGHTS, Wash. — Firefighters in Airway Heights will soon be riding around in a brand new fire engine.
The new engine arrived in the city on Friday, January 24 from South Dakota. It will replace a 23-year-old fire engine currently operating.
The City of Airway Heights said the new engine has a state-of-the-art air filtration system to better protect fire crews from carcinogens while on the job.
“Chemicals get on your skin, in our pores, and in your clothing,” said Assistant Fire Chief Nate Whannell. “That means there will be some in the cab as well. We’re trying to get a cleaner cab to stay in line with national recommendations.”
Over the next month, firefighters will be working to outfit the rig with all the essential tools and hoses needed for the job. Once it is ready to get rolling, the city said it will host a ceremony that will be open to the public.
“A push-in ceremony is a remembrance of what fire crews did back in the days of horse-drawn fire engines. They’d wash it and then literally push that part back into the fire station. So, we’re honoring that tradition,” said Whannell.
A date has not yet been announced for that push-in ceremony.
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