Hanford firefighters can now take pride in a brand new, state-of-the-art ladder truck. Representatives from the Hanford Fire Department and Department of Energy held a ceremony on Thursday to give the truck a proper “welcome.” “When we request equipment it’s a long process to get it approved,” said Captain Richard Golie. “So this has been on the plan for quite a while.” Firefighters held a “housing” ceremony for the new truck – a tradition that dates back to the late 1800’s when fire departments used horse-drawn equipment. Firefighters would push horse-drawn fire engines into the garage after they returned from a fire. The ceremony has become a widely-practiced community tradition when fire departments put a new fire truck into service.