Pastor Harvey Fiskeaux performed the ceremony, blessing the truck with words, water and oil.

NVFD dedicates new fire engine

A brand new fire truck complementing Nome Volunteer Fire Department’s fleet rolled off the last barge a month ago and was formally blessed on Saturday, November 19.

Fire chief Jim West Jr. gathered fire fighters, families and invited the public to attend the dedication ceremony of Engine 4 and an open house event at Fire Hall.

Pastor Harvey Fiskeaux performed the ceremony, blessing the truck with words, water and oil. He prayed that water shall bless the fire fighters and those they help with healing and soothing. As he anointed the truck, he prayed that the oil shall grant that the fire engine never will have a mechanical and perform its duties to help and serve those in need.

West thanked the Nome Common Council for approving the funds for the new fire engine. The shiny new truck was bought exclusively with city funds. In April, Pierce Manufacturing won the bid at $344,380 and began building the truck for delivery on the last barge to Nome.

Last Saturday, Common Council member Jerald Brown, Nome Mayor Richard Beneville and City Manager Tom Moran, in addition to several firefighters and their families helped to push the truck into the fire hall garage.

West explained the tradition of pushing the truck backwards into the garage. It stems from the days when firefighters used horse-drawn buggies when responding to a fire. Upon the return to fire hall, they would unhitch the horses and push the buggy into the fire hall bay by manpower.

NVFD has served Nome since 1937. The main fundraiser for NVFD is coming up with the annual Firemen’s Carnival on December 3.

The Nome Nugget

PO Box 610
Nome, Alaska 99762
USA

Phone: (907) 443-5235
Fax: (907) 443-5112

www.nomenugget.net

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