Mayor Chris Fletcher, Mayor Pro-Tem Dan McClendon, and Councilmembers Victoria Johnson, Larry Scott, Ronnie Johnson, and Adam Russell, along with Fire Chief K.T. Freeman, members of the Burleson Fire and EMS staff, and the community, celebrated a special "push-in" ceremony, marking the arrival of the department's new ladder fire truck and ambulance at Fire Station 16 on Nov. 1.
Chief K.T. Freeman discussed the cherished fire service tradition of the "push-in" ceremony with the crowd that gathered for the event. Chief Freeman detailed how the ceremony's roots date back to the 1800s. In those days, fire apparatuses couldn't easily be backed into the station with horses alone. After a call, firefighters would disconnect the equipment from the horses and collectively push the fire apparatus back into the bays.
The apparatuses that the community celebrated today include Truck 16 and Medic 16.
Truck 16, which will serve the community of Burleson for the next 15-18 years, is a 2023 Pierce Ascendant and boasts a remarkable 107-foot vertical reach, with a capacity of 480 gallons of water and 20 gallons of foam. Equipped with a 1500-gallon per minute pump and the innovative all-wheel steering feature, it can expertly navigate even the tightest spaces.
Medic 16, a 2023 Ford F450 Demers Ambulance, is one of four new ambulances launched on Oct. 1, marking our city's transition to in-house service.