By John Orona
San Gabriel Valley Tribune
WEST COVINA, Calif. — The West Covina Fire Department welcomed new ambulances and fire trucks into their inventory Thursday, March 28, with traditional “push-in” ceremonies at fire stations across the city.
Push-in ceremonies date back to the 1800s when horse-drawn equipment was used and fire crews had to push their apparatuses into the station by hand because the horses could not back up. The tradition has continued in honor of those early crews.
Fire crews in three of the West Covina Fire Department’s five stations formally ushered in the new equipment, which will replace older apparatuses currently in service.
Fire Station 2 — at 2441 East Cortez St. — welcomed Quint ladder truck 122 and rescue ambulance 122; Fire Station 1 — at 819 South Sunset Ave. — pushed in rescue ambulance 121; and Fire Station 4 — at 1815 South Azusa Ave. — welcomed rescue ambulance 124. The department also purchased two reserve ambulances, all with funding from the American Rescue Plan Act.
Later this month, Fire Station 3 — at 1433 West Puente Ave. — and Fire Station 5 — at 2650 East Shadow Oak Dr. — will each receive new fire engines. The new equipment will allow the department to keep resources available without an interruption to service.
“The purchase of the new apparatus and ambulances for the West Covina Fire Department is an investment in our future that allows us to respond to emergencies and provide lifesaving support to residents,” Mayor Brian Calderon Tabatabai said.
(c)2024 San Gabriel Valley Tribune, West Covina, Calif.
Visit San Gabriel Valley Tribune, West Covina, Calif. at https://www.sgvtribune.com/
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.