FORSYTH, Ga. — Friday morning, the Monroe County Fire Department celebrated the addition of three brand new firetrucks to their fleet.
The department honored the occasion with their first-ever push-in ceremony.
The tradition dates back to the 1800s when firetrucks were pulled by horseback.
Because horses can't walk backwards, firemen had to push trucks back into the station by hand.
Friday, Monroe firefighters, dispatchers, and commissioners worked together to push their new fire truck into the their headquarters.
"It may not seem like a big deal, firemen pushing in a truck," says Captain Shane Cook. "These are the firemen that day in, day out spend a third of their life at the station and it's a big morale booster... We're just super excited."
The new firetrucks come with new, upgraded equipment and can hold up to 1,000 gallons of water.
The firetrucks were brought in from Forsyth's Ten-8 Fire Equipment and were paid for with 2020 SPLOST dollars.
Stations in High Falls and Smarr will be welcoming new firetrucks, while one stays at fire department headquarters.
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