The San Marcos Fire Department Announces Dedication Of New Fire Engine

“The residents of San Marcos will be well served for years to come by this thoughtfully equipped engine,” said Fire Chief Les Stephens.

The San Marcos Fire Department will celebrate the delivery of a new fire engine Friday, Oct. 27, at 4:30 p.m. with a “pushing-in” ceremony at Fire Station #4, 404 Broadway Street. The public is invited to attend.

The 32.5 foot 2017 Spartan Star Series All Aluminum Pumper cost $683,831 and was funded through the City’s 2015 Capital Improvements Plan.  The engine is equipped with:

• Metro Star LFD Cab
• Cummings ISL9 450 h.p. engine
• Allison EVS3000 transmission 
• Waterhouse CSU 1500 g.p.m. pump
• Command light tower
• 500 gallon water tank with rear pre-connects
• Exterior ladders
• All new firefighting equipment 

The ceremony is the culmination of more than two years of work by a committee of San Marcos firefighters who researched and set the specifications of the custom-built apparatus: Battalion Chiefs John Koenig and Aaron Crawford, Captains Mark Bomar and Justin Calhoun, and Firefighter Dustin Miller.

“The residents of San Marcos will be well served for years to come by this thoughtfully equipped engine,” said Fire Chief Les Stephens.

The pushing-in ceremony is a tradition dating back to the 19th Century, when manufacturers would deliver a new pumper wagon to the fire station with a team of horses. Since the team of horses couldn’t back up, the receiving party would unhitch the wagon, push it back into the station, load up the equipment and hitch their own team of horses, making it ready for its first response.

The new engine was delivered Oct. 6 and will enter service after the ceremony.