West Kendall firefighters celebrated an old firehouse tradition when during an “Open House” at Station 56, 16250 SW 72 St., citizen fire buffs and area Fire Chiefs marked the occasion by pushing a new $514,000 Rosenbauer pumper from the station apron into the bay, ready to begin duty on Mar. 21.
The new unit, made by a 145-year-old U.S. firm, is outfitted with a 750-gallon tank and can supply 1,500 gallons of water per minute, connected to a fire hydrant or other water source.
The noon event marked a day of station tours and admiring the new truck with its eyecatching lime green exterior, “which increases pedestrian ability to clearly see the unit during low light conditions and at night,” noted spokesperson Michelle Fayed.
The apparatus does more than replace an aged fire truck with advances in vehicle design, safety equipment and maneuverability, service in HazMat responses, decreasing fuel consumption and diesel fuel emission reduction, she added.
Historical data recounts dozens of traditions associated with firehouses from Dalmatian dog mascots to transferring water from a retired pumper’s tank to its replacement — “something we didn’t do this time,” Fayed said .
Opened in 2003, the seven-man station includes four firefighters and three fire-rescue team members, under the direction of Chief Dave Downey.
