Meridian Fire's new ladder truck welcomed with push-in ceremony

Members of the community gathered together for a push-in ceremony Thursday to help the Meridian Fire Department welcome its newest ladder truck.
Truck-31 will replace the existing truck at Meridian Fire Station #1, which has served the Meridian community for the past 15 years.
Fire departments began push-in ceremonies in the late 1800's, when crews used horses to pull steamer engines. The Meridian Fire Department (MFD) said firefighters would prepare the horse for the next call with a clean wash after fighting the previous fire.
The crews would push the equipment back into the fire station's bay manually, since walking backwards while attached to a load is a tall task for a horse.
"As the city of Meridian grows vertically, the need for specialized apparatuses, including ladder trucks, increase," Meridian Fire Chief Kris Blume said. "They are the foundation for rapid response, ventilation, extinguishment, and rescue operations in emergency situations."
Each time a new fire truck has joined the Meridian Fire Department's fleet, the department honors tradition with a push-in ceremony. 2008 is the last time the MFD brought a new truck into service.
Along with members of the community, Blume and Meridian Mayor Robert Simison attended Thursday's push-in ceremony.
A video of the event from the Meridian Fire Department's Facebook page is included below, with footage of Truck-31 being pushed into the station's bay: