Home»MARYLAND FIRE DEPT. INCIDENTS»HOWARD Co. Fire Dept.»Dedication of Truck 7-Banneker 8-29-12

At 7:30 AM on August 29, 2012 PIO Jackie Cutler welcomed firefighters and honored guests to the dedication of Howard County’s newest tiller truck. The new apparatus is a 2011 Pierce Arrow XT 100’ tiller truck. The members of the Banneker Fire Station along with the Logistics crew and Pierce Manufacturing Company spent many long hours designing the specifications for Truck 7.
This would be the first tiller truck ever in Howard County so a used tiller truck was procured in anticipation of getting the new truck so crews could begin driving and training and be ready when the new one came in.
Once it was delivered the crews went over the new piece locating and placing equipment on it and actually driving and training on it to become familiar with its handling and operation.
As the ceremony began Chief Chaplain Steve Stone delivered a prayer and blessing to the new truck. Howard County Executive Ken Ulman then presented Station Captain Thomas Norman with a nice framed presentation plaque that featured the proclamation, a photo and blueprints of the new truck. He went on to recall riding along with the truck crew in the past and his experiences in the bucket of old Tower 7. He concluded by proclaiming August 29th as “TRUCK 7 DAY”.
4th District Council Member Mary Kay Sigaty affectionately spoke about her “home station” and what the new truck will mean to the citizens of Howard County and the future of downtown Columbia.
Before the traditional “push in” of the new truck retired Assistant Chief Michael Baker relayed to the audience the history of the apparatus push in, dating back to the days when the old horse drawn steam engines were delivered to the fire company and then pushed into the station for the first time by the firefighters. The ceremony concluded when the station members, former retired members of the station, and honored guests participated in pushing the new truck back into the station.