“Engine 121 is now in service and ready for duty.”

With those words, firefighters at St. Tammany Fire District 12 in Covington activated the newest member of its family, a sparkling new state-of-the-art fire engine.

A dedication ceremony was held at the department’s Northpark Station Friday to mark the occasion. Built by Ferrara Fire Apparatus in Holden, the engine carries 1,000 gallons of water and is equipped with a pump that can deliver 1,500 gallons per minute. Priced at about $250,000, the truck is powered by a 330-hp, low-emission diesel engine.

(Use arrows above to view more photos)

While the shiny vehicle is equipped with the latest safety features, it also harks back to an earlier day, with items like the large silver fire bell mounted on the front bumper.

Engraved with the FD12 shield and the date it was pressed into service—July 3, 2009—the bell is activated by a pull cord through the front dashboard. Years from now, when Engine 121 is retired, the bell will be moved to a new truck, and engraved once again with the date.

The dedication ceremony itself was steeped in tradition. After spraying the engine with water from a hose mounted on Engine 124, the truck that is being replaced, hand towels were given to all the firefighters and family members in attendance to dry it off.

According to FD12 Chief Darrell Guilott, in the days when fire engines were transported by horse-drawn wagon, water was more difficult to come by, so the existing tank was transferred to the new wagon, and much water would slosh out in the process. Residents of the community would then join in to help clean up the wagon, and the gesture was repeated Friday as a symbol of community partnership.

Chief of Training, Safety & Fire Prevention Stephen Krentel said the rituals were enacted due to the fact that FD12 is a relative newcomer in the parish, having been established in the mid-1980s.

“We’re a baby compared to other fire departments here,” said Krentel. “We wanted this occasion to express our connection with the community.”

In addition to the dedication of the new engine, three new firefighters were sworn in with a badge-pinning ceremony. As family members stepped forward to affix the silver shields, Chief Guilott beamed with pride.

“A chief has two favorite things he gets to do: welcome new firefighters and dedicate a new piece of equipment,” said Guilott. “Today I get to do both.”

For more information go to www.fd12.org.