Hope fire department celebrates new addition to fleet with ‘push-in’ ceremony

Published 9:08 am Wednesday, March 4, 2026

The Hope Fire Department’s newest fire truck in its fleet is ready to serve the Hope community.

It was a busy Saturday morning (Feb. 28) at Fire Hall 3 as people helped the firefighters ceremonially push-in their newest fire apparatus, a 2026 Freightliner, into the garage. The push-in ceremony dates back to the 1800s when firefighters had to manually push horse-drawn equipment into their halls. These ceremonies also celebrated the values of integrity, teamwork, service before self and accountability built into a fire department’s service.

Hope Fire Chief Thomas Cameron informed the crowd that the $650,000 truck was replacing the department’s 1989 Ford F-800 pumper tanker which served the community for 36 years. The tanker had originally been at Fire Hall 1 and was particularly purposed for Ross Road. However, due to how much Hope has changed, Cameron explained that apparatus replacements are now done with a “broader view of community needs and risk assessments.”

“It’s a significant investment for the community but it will serve our community for the next 25 years,” Cameron said. “This tender belongs not only to us but also the community that it serves.

“With changes in climate and increased requests to respond beyond our boundaries, maximizing the versatility of our fleet has positioned us to better support neighbours and the province.”

Before the truck was pushed in, Cameron did a wet-down ceremony and sprayed the fire engine with water. A wet-down ceremony is a tradition that also “tips the hat to the past” and acknowledges the time when horses were still used. When horses came back to the station, firefighters would water the horses before hooking them back to the fire apparatus.

The new tender is a significant upgrade to the fire department’s water‑supply and rural‑response capability. This includes a better pump, more efficient hose, and larger water storage.

Currently the fire department has three fire engines, two tenders, a Compressed Air Form System (CAFS) Squad and an Incident Support Unit.

A new pickup truck is also being purchased this year with the capacity to tow the district’s new structure protection trailer. The trailer is part of the Community Resiliency Investment FireSmart Funding and contains new equipment to help protect homes during wildfires.

The truck will also be used as an additional command unit when it’s not hauling the trailer.

In addition to a free barbecue and cake, residents also got to meet the firefighters and learn more about joining the fire department as a paid-on-call firefighter.

Applications to become a firefighter are open until April 3.

People interested in applying can visit hope.ca/p/career-opportunities.