The South Greenville Fire District dedicated two new fire engines during a special ceremony held Monday at the Augusta Road Ruritan Club.
New Fire Engine 80- will replace Engine 80A, a 2008 Pierce Velocity, at South Greenville Fire headquarters on Augusta Road.
New Fire Engine 77 will replace Engine 77, a 2007 American LaFrance Eagle at the Matrix Department.
The two 2023 custom Pierce Enforcer fire engines cost approximately $800,000 each when they were ordered.
South Greenville Fire Chief Matt Sutherland said the Ruritan Club started the fire department in 1956 and raised money through fundraising to purchase one fire truck. That truck was used until 1965 when the state set up the South Greenville Fire District as a Special Purpose District. At that time the Governor appointed one fire chief and four commissioners.
“If it wasn’t for the Augusta Road Ruritan Club, there would be no South Greenville Fire District,” Chief Sutherland said.
“When trying to decide the best way to dedicate two fire engines at the same time, we though there was no better way to do it, than to go back to where it all first started.”
Sutherland introduced Ruritan Club President Starr Lynn Birx.
“Our firefighters are already extremely proud of these two new fire engines and are anxious to be able to put these trucks in service today to better serve our community,” Chief Sutherland said.
Sutherland said the two new fire engines are almost mirror images of other apparatus.. He said minor tweeks and changes were made on the new trucks “to ensure that they have the ability and opportunity to better serve the areas they are charged to serve.”
Fire Commissioners Bre Bedingfield, Chairman; Jim Darby Vice Chairman; Jimmy Brashier, Donnie Freeman and John Jennings were recognized.
As part of the dedication ceremony, South Greenville Honor Guard members presented a piece of equipment, a fire axe, from each the old trucks to be placed on the new trucks.
Those in attendance were asked to place a hand on the two trucks during a blessing by Pastor Massey of Holly Spring Baptist Church.
Following the dedication ceremony, those attending were invited to honor a tradition of pushing early hand-drawn fire engines, ladder wagons and hose carts back into the fire station by hand. Horse drawn steam engines had to be disconnected from the horses. and the steamer pushed back into the station by hand.
“The fire service is deep into tradition and some companies make every effort to honor and pay homage to past and old time members that had to push their engines into the station by hand, by hand pushing the new ones into the station,” Chief Sutherland said.
Those attending went to the station of their choice to participate in the truck push into the station.
Featured photo – New Fire Engine 80 dedicated
The South Greenville Fire District dedicated two new fire engines during a special ceremony held Monday at the Augusta Road Ruritan Club. New Fire Engine 80 will replace Engine 80A, a 2008 Pierce Velocity, at South Greenville Fire headquarters on Augusta Road.
New Fire Engine 77 dedicated
The South Greenville Fire District dedicated two new fire engines during a special ceremony held Monday at the Augusta Road Ruritan Club. New Fire Engine 77 will replace Engine 77, a 2007 American LaFrance Eagle at the Matrix Department.
