The Haverhill Fire Department plans a “push-in” ceremony Tuesday morning to celebrate the High Street Fire Station’s new Engine 1.
The public is invited to join department staff, city officials and community partners at the push-in, a traditional ceremony dating back to the days of horse-drawn fire apparatus, when firefighters would manually push equipment back into the station after returning from a call. Haverhill Fire Chief Christopher Cesati recently told WHAV the progression of preparing the truck for use.
“Just doing the final last touches over in Allegiance in Methuen, and hopefully if all the stars and cards align, we’re going to have that truck in service next week,” Cesati said. “That’s going to replace our busiest engine in the city, and we’ll do a progression chain along down the way and we’ll be able to put our worst truck, or our oldest truck into a reserve status,” he added.
The new fire engine purchase was made possible through a grant provided by the federal American Rescue Plan Act. Cesati said, “This investment represents a significant commitment to public safety, ensuring that Haverhill Fire Department continues to provide reliable, efficient and effective emergency services to the residents and visitors of our community.” He added, “The Haverhill Fire Department is excited to welcome this new engine one into service and looks forward to the advanced capabilities it will provide for years to come.”
Cesati also told WHAV that by the end of this year assembly of the department’s new ladder truck, which has been in production since 2023, should be complete. He added that once the new truck is finished, the department will be able to sell older equipment that costs the most to maintain.
The push-in ceremony takes place Tuesday, Aug. 4, at 10 a.m. at the High Street Fire Station, 123 High St., Haverhill.