South Davis Metro Fire Station 81 has a new engine and it was put into service on Monday after a ceremonial “push in” by a large group of firefighters. The new Rosenbaur engine is replacing the 2015 engine that will now be in reserve status. 

“The ‘push in’ comes back to the horse drawn engine,” said SDMF Chief Greg Stewart. “Horses couldn’t back up so they took the horses off the engine and pushed it into place. It’s a throwback to show that it’s always working hard for us so we’re working hard to put it back in.”

“The NFPA (National Fire Protection Agency) requires that an engine that has been on the frontline should be replaced after 10 years,” said SDMF Capt. Michael Shafto. “There have been small improvements to the specs on this engine.”

The cabin is bigger and has more space, said Stewart. “It also has a back air scrubber that filters the air in the cabin to take out cancer particulates. This is kind of a cancer job so this has the power to eliminate as much cancer risk as we can.”

An engine is driven by the Engineer, said Shafto. “They have specialized training. They have to calculate the amount of water that comes out of the pump. They’re also in charge of everything to keep it in top operating condition. It’s their baby.”

Every shift has a driver, he said. “This station (81) has three engineers.”

This engine goes to every fire, Shafto said. “This is the busiest station of all of the stations.” 

Part of the “push in” ceremony was the moving of the bell from the old engine to the new one. “It symbolizes the fire bell that they use to ring,” said Shafto. “It always stays on the engine at Station 81.”

This engine symbolizes that if people come here they will get help, said Stewart. “It pays respect to the heroes here and shows that it will take care of business and get us home safely.”

It’s more than a tool, he said. “It’s a place of refuge and security.”