Pocatello Fire Department welcomes three new engines

The start of a new era for the Pocatello Fire Department is underway. The Gate City welcomed in a new fleet of three fire engines to its force.

According to Pocatello Fire Chief David Gates, the department follows the National Fire Protection Agency standards for engines to the best of their abilities.

The agency recommends that departments keep engines in service for approximately 20 years, which is why the Pocatello department is replacing its three 1993 engines.

After reviewing the needs of the department, three engines were purchased from Pierce Manufacturing. Each vehicle cost about $600,000.

The old engines, still fully functional, will either be given to area fire agencies or sold at auction, according to Chief Gates.

The last of the three new engines will be “pushed-in” to station #1 Wednesday evening.

“The push-in ceremony is something that we’ve never done before,” Gates said. It’s an old firehouse tradition that dates back to the horsedrawn carts, which needed to be pushed into the bay.

“It’s good luck to push it in,” Gates said.

The department attempted to do a push-in for the new station #2 engine, but, “because we had a slight upslope, we couldn’t push it in. It was too heavy, but we made a valiant effort,” Gates said.

This new purchase will keep the department up to date and fully stocked for the next 10 years, “unless we expand and add a station,” Gates explained.