I was intrigued by the email about the ‘Push In’ celebration of a new fire truck in East Ridge, a role model for growing Tennessee cities. I joined the community folks, council members, firefighters for a tradition dating to the 1800s, when fire trucks were pulled by horses. This modern truck cost $900,000, and given the powerful engine, we didn’t have to push it into the fire engine bay to put the truck officially in service. But what fun to do it!
Decades ago, the downtown fire station was a privately owned, relatively small building. Now, East Ridge Fire Rescue is a city service, and the building is a modernized version of the original. Even so, it may be outgrown in the not-too-distant future, symbolic of the growth in East Ridge.
This new fire truck is very much needed. East Ridge Fire Rescue is one of the busiest departments in the state of Tennessee. There’s now a second fire station near Camp Jordan. Once farmland and a military site, Camp Jordan now has subdivisions and new businesses as well as soccer fields, golf courses, an amphitheater, RV campground and multi-purpose arena.
Mayor Brian Williams said, “We’re blessed to have this great community.” And knowing how much the new fire truck is needed, he added, “We now have another apparatus to help protect and serve our community.”
The mayor’s support and that of the East Ridge City Council, which included the new fire truck in its budget, was greatly appreciated by Fire Chief Mike Williams: “When you’re supportive of services, you’re supportive of community.”