(MONUMENT, Colo.) — The community is invited to help the Monument Fire Department (MFP) celebrate the addition of a new ambulance and wildland engine to its fleet on Saturday, Jan. 27.
The truck “push-in” ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday at Monument Fire Station 1, located at 18650 Highway 105. The community is welcome to attend and enjoy refreshments, giveaways, and photos with Sparky, the station’s mascot dog.
MFD said push-in ceremonies are traditional in nature and date back to when horses still pulled fire engines. While the horses could bring the engine to the station it was the firefighters who would manually push their engines back into their stations.
Today, MFD said this tradition is still used to celebrate and honor new vehicles officially being put into service. This push-in ceremony also thanks the Monument and Tri-lakes community for their part in helping the department upgrade its fleet with advanced technologies to better aid the community during emergencies.
“The wildland engine is the first of its kind in our fire district. This new unit gives us a greater capacity to respond to wildfires within the Monument and Tri-Lakes Community,” said Fire Chief, Andy Kovacs.
The new wildland engine is a 2023 International Chassis 4X4 built by Boise Mobile Equipment, recognized as the Model 34, and has a 500-gallon-per-minute pump. The engine holds 500 gallons of water and seats a crew of up to four firefighters via air ride seats. The new ambulance is a 2022 Ford F450 4X4 with a custom-built box by AEV, designed by MFD’s paramedic team.
In addition to the new engines, MFD has implemented the Community Connect program for the city of Monument and the Tri-Lakes area. Through a secure portal, neighbors in these communities of Monument can provide vital information (medications, details about their pets, and details about the household) that will aid firefighters and paramedics when responding to an emergency.
MFD said this information can significantly help its crews prepare for the best course of action and expedite support in the event of an emergency.
“We’re excited to welcome the community to come celebrate the new trucks and be able to share with them our gratitude. This is the first of many new and exciting advancements for the Monument Fire District happening this year,” said Jamey Bumgarner, Division Chief of Administration.
