Midway celebrates new fire truck with traditional push-in ceremony

Midway Fire Department recently purchased a new fire truck, which is the first to be purchased by the city in more than three decades.

On Saturday December 18, Midway firefighters and city officials pushed the new fire engine into Midway Fire Station Number 2.

Midway Fire Chief Nathan Yarusso said that pushing a firetruck into the station is a long-standing tradition in fire services.

Pushing a new fire truck into the station, parking it for the first time in its bay, is a tradition amongst firefighters that dates back to the late 1800s, when firefighters used horses to pull firefighting wagons; after fighting a fire, the wagon would be cleaned and pushed, by the firefighters, back into the fire station bay.

“This is the first time the city has had a ladder truck and a truck of this size and abilities,” Yarusso said, adding that the truck is a necessity for Midway because of the city’s recent and upcoming growth.

“It was time we grew with the town,” Yarusso said.

Midway officials, firefighters and family members smile for a photograph after celebrating the arrival of Midway’s new fire engine. The engine was purchased, used, from a fire department in Kentucky.

Although Midway’s population has only grown by about 200 during the last decade, according to the United States Census Bureau, the city has seen the addition of multiple large commercial businesses and new homes.

Yarusso said the city purchased the truck from a fire department in Owingsville, Kentucky.

“A fellow fire chief posted it in a fire group,” Yarusso said.

After seeing the truck being posted for sale, Yarusso and another firefighter drove to Kentucky to check the truck out, and then to purchase and drive it home.

“I drove it through the mountains and that’s probably the scariest thing I’ve ever done,” said the fire chief - who said they had to drive their new truck down steep mountains that were not sided with a guard rail.

In comparison, Yarusso said that navigating the ladder truck around Gadsden County will ‘be a breeze’.

The New-To-Midway truck is a 1993 model, but was refurbished in 2010.

“Normally a truck like this would cost a quarter to half a million dollars,” Yarusso said.

Midway Mayor Pro Tem Braheem Russ said the new engine will be beneficial to Gadsden County as a whole.

“Only Quincy and Concord have this kind of truck,” Russ said with a smile. “For us to be on this scale, we’re keeping up with the big cities of Gadsden County.”

Yarusso said the last time the City of Midway purchased a fire truck was in 1988, and with this new addition, the fire department now has a total of four fire engines in its fleet.

On December 18, during a traditional Push-In Ceremony at the City of Midway's fire department, the city's firefighters and government officials push the new fire engine into the station.

Two of those engines were bought by the county and given to Midway.

Russ said the recent purchase was made possible with support of Midway’s city manager, Linda Dilworth.

In response, Dilworth said Midway has a visionary council that’s committed to getting Midway on the move; she also praised the chief for his dedication to his department.

“I can’t say enough about Chief Yarusso’s leadership,” City Manager Linda Dilworth said.

Russ echoed Dilworth’s sentiments.

“Without Chief, we wouldn’t have any of this,” Russ added.

Yarusso said he now must teach his crew of volunteer responders how to drive the new “state-of-the-art” fire engine.

“I’ll take them down to Pat Thomas and let them drive the course,” he said. “We have a lot of training ahead.”

Chief Yarusso said the next year will be filled with great training and learning opportunities for the firefighters of the City of Midway.

Erin Hill - erin@gadsdencountytimes.com

Midway celebrates new fire truck with traditional push-in ceremony

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Midway celebrates new fire truck with traditional push-in ceremony

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Why is the Gadsden County Times half-painted?

Gadsden County Times Legals – 1/13

Gadsden County Times Legals - 1/13

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Gadsden County and Sneads’ coaches aim to lead the Fall 2021 teams’ athletes to success and beyond

Havana Museum to honor Nell Gray Cunningham

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