There’s a new addition to our Fire Department and it’s now in service at Station #11 off of Riverside Drive. The Fire Department held a traditional Push In Ceremony on Wednesday to unveil its new, state-of-the-art fire apparatus. You can watch the full ceremony here. 

“I want to thank our community for this,” said Fire Chief Shane Edwards. “Because of your support of the SPLOST, the tax dollars spent here in Macon-Bibb County, we’re able to make these purchases so that your Fire Department can remain a Class One, top-notch Fire Department in the state of Georgia.”  

The 2024 Sutphen engine, purchased with Special Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) FUNDS, will replace the 1995 version which will now be a reserve apparatus. The 2024 version has advanced features, with an American flag grill, similar to the engine purchased in 2022. 

This is the second Push In Ceremony the Fire Department holds for a new fire truck. The ceremonial Push In dates to the 1800s when crews returned from a call on horse-drawn equipment, that the horses were unable to push back into the fire station.  

Before firefighters at Station 11 pushed in the truck, they transferred the water from the nearly 30-year-old truck, to the brand new one.