A new Hall County fire engine will go into service next week following a special ceremony that pays homage to the history of fire services.
Hall County Fire Services personnel will put the new engine into service at noon on Thursday, Oct. 31 by pushing it into its bay at Hall County Fire Station #7, located at 731 East Crescent Drive in Gainesville.
"Early hand-drawn fire engines were pushed to an incident by firefighters and then back into the station after it was over," Hall County Fire Chief Chris Armstrong said. "Once horse drawn steam engines were developed, personnel would disconnect the horses and then proceed to push the engine back into the station as well."
Armstrong said the push-in ceremony planned for the new apparatus is a way to pay tribute to that era in fire services.
The new engine will replace an older model and was paid for using Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax VII (SPLOST VII) funds.