VCFPD dedicates new brush engine

By Roadrunner | on July 25, 2023

From left: VC Fire Board Pres. Phil Bell, VCFPD Chief Joe Napier, Assemblywoman Marie Waldron of the 75th District and Adrienne Cisneros-Selekman, community liaison for Supervisor Jim Desmond’s office. Photo by Matthew Dimakos

On Friday, July 21, the Valley Center Fire Protection District—joined by some friends from the community— dedicated its new brush firefighting engine. The new engine will be housed for response at Fire Station 1 and will be used as a local and regional asset to work with state, local and tribal government agencies to fight wildfire.

The engine is a “Type 3” engine, whose primary use is for wildland fires. It’s the same model and specifications as the engines used by Cal Fire. Such an engine costs $459,000. It’s four wheel drive and has lots of clearance, so it is very maneuverable in Valley Center’s back roads.

Assemblywoman Marie Waldron of the 75th District, next to the fire truck that she obtained state funding to buy. The truck is named after her.

It’s traditional for firefighters and members of the community to push a new engine into the bay for the first time, as shown in the photo. As the engine was pushed inside, 75th District Assemblywoman Marie Waldron rode in the seat of honor in the driver’s seat. She was responsible for getting the district the grant that enabled it to buy the engine. The engine is named after her.

The “push-in” ceremony dates back to the days before fire trucks were had engines and were instead powered by a team of horses. In those days, firefighters had to physically push their trucks into the station after they returned from a call.

Firefighters and members of the community took part in the “push in” ceremony for the new engine, which is named for Assemblywoman Marie Waldron.

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