BY JENN SAMSEL
Special to the Telegraph
Bradford County Fire Rescue revealed its two newest engines during a June 2 ceremony at its Speedville Station on Southeast County Road 21B.
County officials, along with State Rep. Chuck Brannan, participated in the event.
The ceremony celebrated a long-standing fire service tradition that dates back to the era of horse-drawn fire wagons.
Fire Chief Ben Carter opened the ceremony by welcoming everyone and expressing gratitude to the county commissioners and state representatives who contributed to implementing and funding the new fire engines.
Neighboring fire stations were also present, including Fire Chief Kevin Mobley of the Melrose Fire Department and Fire Chiefs Darren and Matt Ferguson from Dixie County Fire Rescue, who attended to support the push-in engine ceremony.
“I want to begin by offering our sincere thanks to Representative Chuck Brannon, Senator Jennifer Bradley, and Lauren Tingle from the State Fire Marshal’s office, who played an instrumental role in managing these appropriations and guiding the process every step of the way,” Carter said. “These three individuals have been relentless advocates for public safety, and they fought hard in Tallahassee to ensure Bradford County received the funding necessary for these apparatuses. Their work securing state appropriations made this possible, and we’re truly grateful.”
“These engines are an investment in the future of our department, the safety of our first responders, and the well-being of the people we serve,” he continued, “and they’re among some of the first fire engines in the state of Florida to be equipped with blue emergency lights in the rear.”
Brannan said the State Fire Marshal’s Office was key in securing the funding.
“My prayer and hope is that they’ll pump a lot of water over the years, put out a lot of fires, save structures, and save lives,” he said.
Board of County Commissioners Chair Danny Riddick said the new engines would provide first responders with the tools they need to continue doing a great job.
Captain Kevin Mobley gave a brief history of the push-in and washdown ceremony tradition, which dates back to the 17th century.
Before the washdown and push-in ceremony, Rev. Harry Hatcher blessed the servicemen, women, and engines.
Afterward, children and county commissioners took small buckets of water and splashed water onto the fire engines as a symbolic gesture of washing them. Next, crew members carefully backed the engines into bays while the rest walked in uniform in front of the vehicle, symbolically guiding it.
Lastly, a call was made to dispatch to inform them that both engines were officially in service.
Bradford Fire Rescue Division Chief Dylan Rogers said the tradition honors not only new pieces of apparatus but also the dedication, progress, and unity that define his department and community.
Both trucks were included in the budgets for 2023 and 2024, one costing $450,000 and the other $475,000.
According to Brannan, “Close to about $2 million is going into Bradford County Fire Rescue for a new Fire Station in Brooker and new fire trucks.”
