The Asheville Fire Department’s newest vehicle is a top-of-the-line piece of public safety equipment. Its features include LED lights that use a smaller generator and leave more room for equipment, a wireless internet hotspot that enhances communication at a command post, a night-vision camera, airbag technology that protects firefighters and mobile hydraulic tools like the jaws of life that allow for greater range. It was also built nimble enough to navigate city streets, but with the climbing capability to handle the steep terrain in our area.
But high-tech capabilities do not trump tradition, and on Tuesday, Asheville Firefighters honored a long-standing tradition by pushing Squad 1 into downtown’s Gus Werhan Station 1.
The tradition goes back to the days of horse-drawn fire engines. Horses can’t back an engine in, so firefighters had to push the vehicles back into the bay after responding to fires. Click below to see video of the event: