The City of Early issued the following press release Tuesday morning:

The City of Early Fire Department is proud to announce a significant milestone in our service to the community: the arrival of our first ladder truck! Join us as we celebrate this momentous occasion with a traditional wash-down and push-in ceremony honoring the fire service’s rich history and tradition.

Event Details:
• Date: Monday, April 21, 2025
• Time: 2pm
• Location: City of Early Fire Department, 1030 Early Blvd, Early, Texas

The ceremony will begin with a short welcome and remarks from local officials, highlighting the history and significance of the ladder truck push-in ceremony. Following the speeches, city officials and community members will be invited to participate in the “Wet-Down” wash, helping to wash and dry the new ladder truck in a collective show of pride.

The event’s highlight will be the Push-In ceremony, where firefighters, city officials, and citizens will come together to push the ladder truck into the bay, recreating this historic custom. The push-in ceremony is a time-honored tradition that symbolizes unity within the fire service and the official welcoming of a new fire apparatus into the station.

This event celebrates a new purchase and demonstrates our department’s unwavering commitment to the community we serve.

In modern times, fire trucks are significantly larger than those used in the past, making physical pushing impractical. However, breaking tradition is not an option. We will adapt this ceremony to honor this legacy by having a member back the unit into the bay while other firefighters in uniform, city officials, and the community walk alongside, simulating pushing while maintaining the spirit of dedication and unity that has defined fire services for centuries.

We invite the community to join us in this special celebration as we embrace our new ladder truck and its enhanced capabilities for the City of Early.