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EDINBURG — After a nearly two-year wait fueled by pandemic-related supply chain shortages, city officials here had cause to celebrate Wednesday with a ceremony ushering in the arrival of two new firetrucks.
“We’re extremely excited,” Ubaldo “Balde” Perez, deputy chief for the Edinburg Fire Department, said shortly after he and other firefighters gathered to “push in” the two new apparatus.
“What represents a firefighter? A firetruck — you know, nice and shiny and red. So, the firefighters are very excited about being able to get this new apparatus,” Perez added.
To celebrate, the department held a “push-in ceremony” — a tradition that hearkens back to the 1800s, when departments relied upon horse-drawn vehicles to respond to emergencies.
The tradition gets its name from the routine of unhitching the horses from an apparatus before physically pushing it into the safety of the firehouse.
Wednesday’s push-in ceremony was a first for the city of Edinburg, and something Perez referred to as a “historic moment.”
For Edinburg Place 3 Councilman Johnny Garcia, the celebration illustrated the city’s “unity” and the leadership of longtime fire chief, Shawn Snider.
Though Snider did not attend Wednesday’s push-in ceremony, his presence was nonetheless closely felt as officials lauded his 40-year legacy of leadership and asked for prayers for the chief.
“We wouldn’t be where we’re at without his leadership,” Perez said, adding that Snider is currently recovering from an unnamed medical issue at a local hospital.
“We definitely appreciate everybody’s support. He needs it. He wants it. If he could be here, yes, he would definitely be here right now,” Perez said.
Wednesday’s push-in ceremony was a first for the city of Edinburg, and something Perez referred to as a “historic moment.”
Place 1 Councilman Daniel “Dan” Diaz, who spoke fondly of the department’s all-volunteer days, also had Snider in mind during the celebration.
“To Chief, we’re doing exactly what you would want to be done today,” Diaz said, adding that the department has “always been a little ahead of the curve.”
Today, the fire department operates on a hybrid system with 80 paid firefighters and 40 volunteers, officials said.
The trucks, which were custom-built by Wisconsin-based Pierce Manufacturing, will be stationed at different locations in the city.
One, a rescue tanker, will be housed at the department’s central location, Fire Station 1, on West McIntyre Street.
That apparatus is outfitted with what Perez referred to as a “cache of rescue tools,” and also has the capability of responding to fires at locations that lack fire hydrants.
“It has a 1,500 (gallon per minute) pump and the tank size is 1,750 gallons,” Perez said.
The second apparatus, a pumper truck, will be housed at Fire Station 2 on West Canton Road.
“That’s the truck that you normally see a firefighter crew on. And that responds to 99% of the calls for service — whether it be a fire alarm activated, a house fire, a building fire, a car accident,” Perez said, referring to the pumper as a “daily driver.”
The new trucks have allowed the department to replace decades-old equipment.
Edinburg last bought a rescue truck in 1989 at a cost of $150,000, Perez said. The new rescue truck cost the city $850,000.
Meanwhile, the $720,000 pumper truck will replace a 2003 model that the city purchased then for $250,000, Perez said.
The department originally ordered the two apparatus in 2021, but COVID-19-related impacts on the global supply chain led to the nearly two-year delay in delivery.
For Edinburg Mayor Ramiro Garza Jr., however, their arrival comes at a perfect time — just as the city continues record growth.
“We grow by, I believe, eight people per day,” Garza said after the ceremony.
“And so we need this latest equipment with the latest technology to protect our community,” he said.
The mayor added his thanks to both Chief Snider and the scores of past and present firefighters who have served Edinburg.
“For many, many, many years, it was largely a volunteer fire department. There’s something to be said about that,” Garza said. “For a city that has grown so much. But they’ve been able to do it, so it tells you a lot about the department itself.”
To see more, view Monitor photojournalist Delcia Lopez’s full photo gallery here:
Photo Gallery: Edinburg celebrates arrival of new fire trucks after two-year wait
