New engines push Eden Prairie Fire Department into a new era

The Eden Prairie Fire Department added five new vehicles – three fire engines and two rescue trucks – to its collection with a ceremony full of cheers and fanfare led by Fire Chief Scott Gerber on Friday, Aug. 22. 

The ceremony, known as a push-in, was held at Fire Station 1, 14800 Scenic Heights Road. The tradition dates back to the era of horse-drawn, steam-powered fire engines, Assistant Chief Matt Worthington said. Because horses could not pull the steam engines into the station, firefighters would push them into the firehouse to mark the end of the workday.

Push-in ceremonies became a way to welcome new vehicles to the fleet, Worthington said.

Firefighters – aided by one in the driver’s seat – symbolically pushed Eden Prairie’s five new trucks into the station with three pushes.

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Each of the three pushes represents a chapter in the fire department’s history, Gerber said.

“The first push is for the past. The second push is for the present. The third push is for the future,” Gerber said. “The third push is when they’ll be all the way into the station.” In addition to the pushes, firefighters symbolically transferred equipment – an ax, a pike pole and a nozzle – to the new vehicles.

Seven firefighters worked to design the new trucks, Gerber said. 

A sixth truck was ordered in 2023 but will not be shipped to Eden Prairie until 2026, according to the fire department. 

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The trucks being replaced are 20 years old, Gerber said. 

According to the city, the fire engines cost $1.1 million, and the rescue trucks cost $400,000.

The vehicles were paid for with public safety state aid dollars and city capital improvement funds, Gerber said.

Assistant Fire Chief Ward Parker discussed the new safety features of the vehicles.

The trucks’ features include 360-degree cameras to improve safety on scene and updated cabinetry to better fit equipment, Parker said. They also have a lower hose bed to reduce strain on firefighters. The trucks being replaced are 25 inches taller and more difficult to use.

The rescue trucks are much smaller than the fire engines and will be used to support Flying Cloud Airport and respond to plane crashes, Parker said. They are also equipped with the latest emergency medical equipment.

The fire engines were built by Pierce Manufacturing in Appleton, Wisconsin, and the rescue trucks by Skeeter Emergency Vehicles in Hillsboro, Texas, Gerber said.