Falls Fire Chief Joe Pedulla watched like a proud poppa as the city's newest fire engine rolled out of the Ontario Street fire station for the very first time Thursday afternoon.
"That's it, go slow, don't hit anything," Pedulla said as the engine took its first drive through the North End after being put out into service.
The state-of-the-art Rosenbauer engine will replace a 14-year-old Pierce engine that's been in service since 2005 and has responded to 22,000 calls for service. But Pedulla said the firefighters who have manned Engine 3 at the Ontario Street station for all these years were sorry to retire their old ride.
"Fire engines are a lot like members of the crew," Pedulla said. "You learn to know every nook and cranny of the engine and sometimes you don't want to lose that (familiarity). It's like the engine is a part of you."
While the new Engine 3 takes to the streets, the old Engine 3 will become a reserve apparatus, available when needed.