VIDEO: The Selah Fire Department is taking fighting fires to new heights. A new firetruck will allow crews to attack flames from 78-feet in the air.
The city's first ever ladder truck has been built, tested, delivered and now, pushed in to mark the start of its service. It's a firefighter tradition from the 1800s, according to SFD Deputy Chief Scott Willis.
"When they would get back to the station after a call, the animals couldn't push the wagon back in," says Willis. "They would disconnect the animals and then all the other firefighters would push the wagon back in."
While the new ladder truck isn't horse drawn, the tradition stands today as a source of unity and pride between the firefighters.
"It's kind of one of those cool things you always hear about growing up when you're getting into the fire service," says Willis. "It's one of the things I really enjoy about the fire service, that tradition."