The City of Santa Fe Fire Department showed off the newest truck in its fleet Friday. It’s the first community inspired truck for SFFD. It’s the first theme truck for the Santa Fe Fire Department, which features Zozobra on its sides.
During a ceremony at Fire Station 1, Fire Engine 1, was officially brought into service by the tradition of the wetdown ceremony where the new truck is hosed down by the truck it’s replacing and a pushback when children from Girls Inc. helped Mayor Alan Webber, firefighters and their families and others pushed the engine into its bay in the Station 1 garage.
Both are longtime traditions in the fire departments.
Fire Chief Brian Moya says he’s excited to see the new truck come into service.
“My biggest takeaway from this is giving back,” he said. “Give back to the community, make long lasting partnerships that unveil big things. This didn’t come from me. I’ll give station 1 full credit. All the guys came to me and said, ‘why don’t we make a design that includes the Zozobra because this is what we’ve done for 99 years.”
While the truck has a gasoline engine, the equipment from chainsaws to oxygen tanks are all electric which will cut down on the number of carcinogens that could leak into the cab.
It took over three and a half years to get the truck designed and built.
The Kiwanis Club of Santa Fe helped pay for the new truck, which cost about $750,000 to build and another $50,000 for the design.
Another themed truck, this one a rescue vehicle will be coming on line for the fire department in July.
You can see the new engine on Saturday during the Pride Parade. It will also from now on be stationed behind Zozobra during the burning ceremony.