The Bellefontaine Fire Department has a new “tool in the toolbox” ready to serve the community.
The department officially welcomed its newest fire engine into service Tuesday, marking a major upgrade in equipment and emergency response capabilities for the community.
The new Engine 21 will replace the department’s current Engine 22, which has faithfully served the community for the past 23 years.
Chief Brian Wilson said the older engine had developed numerous mechanical and structural issues over time, making replacement necessary.
The new Sutphen engine was built in August 2025, and the department officially took ownership of the apparatus in December 2025.
Since then, additional equipment and modifications have been added to prepare the truck for service.
Firefighters officially took possession of the completed engine Tuesday and immediately placed it into service.
According to the department, Engine 21 offers several improvements over its predecessor, including an additional 250 gallons of water capacity and a more powerful fire pump capable of delivering 1,700 gallons per minute — 500 gallons more than the previous engine’s 1,200-gallon-per-minute capacity.
Chief Wilson said the upgrades will help the department continue providing reliable and effective fire protection for years to come.
The department also credited Assistant Fire Chief Vince Wulf for his hard work throughout the process of bringing the new engine to the department, praising his efforts in helping ensure the project was completed successfully.
Shortly before 1:00 p.m. Tuesday, firefighters also took part in a ceremonial “push-in” of the new engine at the station.
The tradition dates back more than 200 years to a time when fire trucks were horse-drawn carts.
While horses could pull the carts to emergencies, they could not back them into the station, requiring firefighters to physically push the equipment back into the garage after returning from a call.
Although modern fire trucks can easily back into bays on their own, many departments continue the “push-in” tradition as a ceremonial way to welcome a new apparatus into service.
