Amid much pomp and ceremony, Emmaus elected officials and borough citizens welcomed the newest addition to the Emmaus Fire Department’s firefighting apparatus.

The ceremony was held 5 p.m. June 21 at the fire department’s Sixth Street station.

John Price, director of Emmaus emergency services, introduced the new engine which replaces a 1998-vintage pumper engine in the fire department fleet. Price told the audience of elected officials, first responders and borough citizens the engine was built by the Spartan emergency vehicle manufacturing firm in Brandon, S.D.

Powered by a 450-horsepower engine, the pumper carries 750 gallons of water that can be put on a fire at the rate of 1,500 gallons per minute at full power.

The engine’s color scheme was updated to reflect the borough’s official green and yellow hornet sports team colors.

After Price’s setup remarks, borough council president Brent Labenberg said the new engine will support the borough firefighter’s goal of becoming the “best in the Lehigh Valley.”

Emmaus Borough Public Safety Chairman John Hart said the new engine will serve the borough well into the second quarter of this century.

The Rev. Brian Dixon, pastor, Emmaus Moravian Church, blessed the engine before it was pushed back into the station.

Deputy Chief Keith Miller said the “push back” ceremony, prevalent in the fire service across the U.S. for more than a century, hearkens back to the era when fire engines were pulled to fire scenes by teams of horses. Since horses aren’t fond of going in reverse, the engines were “pushed back” into fire stations by firefighters.

In this case the vehicle was not moved with human might alone. There was a firefighter inside the cab slowly backing the truck into the bay at the station.

To close the ceremony, Emmaus firefighter Justin Hamon radioed the 911 communication center saying the new “7-12 is now in service.”