Community Police & Fire

‘Push-in’ ceremony celebrates arrival of new ambulance

Gig Harbor Fire and Medic One’s newest ambulance needed a little push before it could go into service.

Actually, it didn’t really need the push. That’s just a fire service tradition.

Gig Harbor Fire personnel pushed the ambulance, designated A22, into its bay at Station 58 on Bujacich Road on Wednesday, Jan. 7. It’s a tradition that goes back to the days when firefighters used horse-drawn carriages to get to calls, and thus had to push their apparatus back into the station.

Those carriages didn’t weigh more than seven tons like A22, though.

Tom Wescott, a Gig Harbor Fire division chief, said the tradition is an opportunity for firefighters to build teamwork and show appreciation for the community’s support.

The practice “goes back to before we had reverse on the transmission,” he said. 

Gig Harbor firefighters push a new ambulance into a bay at Station 58 on Wednesday, Jan. 7. Photo by Vince Dice

New, but also used

Technically, only part of the ambulance is new. GHFMO had the “box” from an older ambulance attached to the chassis of a 2025 Dodge Ram 4500.

“It’s a more cost-effective way to get a new EMS unit,” EMS Division Chief Mike Dumas said.

Gig Harbor took delivery of the rig in November, but it takes a while to outfit an ambulance. It officially went into service as soon as firefighters finished pushing it into Station 58.

The cab of Gig Harbor’s new ambulance at Station 58. Photo by Vince Dice

Ambulance amenities

This one comes with some bells and whistles. It has a new HVAC system to keep patients warm — Dumas said the old system only fully heated about half of the patient compartment — and updated self-contained breathing apparatus (or SCBA) gear.

It will be easy to pick out on the road. It’s one of only two Gig Harbor ambulances painted with a black-on-red color scheme.

It also comes with a power load cot, allowing EMS personnel to get patients into the rig without having to lift them in. Most neighboring fire districts already use them, Dumas said.

“This is the greatest advancement in the history of the fire service, in terms of avoiding back injuries,” Wescott said. 

The patient compartment of the new ambulance includes a powered load cot, meaning firefighters won’t have to lift patients into the vehicle. Photo by Vince Dice

 New engines on the way

GHFMO will be getting a lot of new vehicles this year. Using funds from a bond approved by voters in 2022, the department expects to take delivery of five new fire engines in late spring or early summer.

The National Fire Protection Association issues guidelines that determine how long departments should operate a fire engine in front-line status, as opposed to reserve status.

Wescott said Gig Harbor had several engines that had already reached the point of needing to be placed in reserve status. Bond funds will help replace them with new engines. 

Gig Harbor fireighters pose for a photo after pushing the new ambulance into station 58. Photo by Vince Dice