Laguna Beach dedicates new fire engine with ‘push-in’ ceremony
- Share via
Laguna Beach firefighters showed off a shiny new toy Monday morning, city leaders and public safety officials turning out for the dedication of a new fire engine.
All manner of fire service vehicles, and their crews, showed up at Fire Station No. 2, the midtown firehouse and largest of four within the city.
The attendees participated in a traditional “push-in” ceremony, which Fire Chief Niko King explained got its roots from a time before firefighters had the benefit of automobiles.
“Back in the 1800s, when horses used to pull the pumpers, they’d get back to the station after a fire, and I don’t know if you know much about horses, but they don’t have reverse,” King quipped. “So they’d have to disconnect the horses, and then they pushed the pumper back into the barn … We’re putting our old 2005 engine out of service. It’s served this community for 20 years.”
Following King’s opening remarks, the new engine was hosed down with water from the retiring engine. Mayor Mark Orgill, Councilwoman Sue Kempf, City Manager Dave Kiff and uniformed personnel then grabbed towels and wiped down the new truck before as many individuals as could get their hands on the clean machine helped push it into the apparatus bay.
A radio transmission then ceremonially retired the old apparatus, a 2005 American LaFrance, and called the replacement — Engine 2, a 2026 Pierce Enforcer — into service.
“Today, we honor the retirement of Engine 204, a 2005 American LaFrance, which has faithfully served the city of Laguna Beach for more than 20 years and responded to thousands of emergency calls throughout our community,” a member of the Laguna Beach public safety dispatch team said.
“As we welcome this new engine into service, we recognize the legacy of the apparatus that came before and the firefighters that relied upon it to protect our city. May this new Pierce Enforcer serve the firefighters of Laguna Beach fire department with strength and reliability, protect those who operate it, and continue the tradition of exceptional service to the residents and visitors of Laguna Beach for many years to come.”
A round of applause met the final words: “Engine 2, you are officially in service.”
Laguna Beach paid $945,196.73 for the Pierce Enforcer in 2022, Administrative Fire Capt. Pat Cary said. The city received the engine in June.
“We look at the engine that is going out of service, and we look and see what tools can we repurpose off of it, and then what tools do we need to buy and outfit the engine with new tools and equipment,” Cary said. “For instance, we used our existing auto extrication equipment and put it on there. We’ve used our existing hose and nozzles and put it on there, existing fire extinguishers … We’ll get some new equipment, as well.”
Fire Station No. 2, located at the intersection of Agate and Glenneyre streets, serves as the home for multiple apparatuses, including two wildland fire engines, with one of those being supplied by the state Office of Emergency Services. The station also houses a two-person ambulance crew.
