The Jonesburg-High Hill Fire Protection District held another push-in ceremony to introduce the last of its two new trucks on June 11 at the High Hill firehouse.

Numerous people were in attendance at the 10-minute event to see the second truck and enjoyed refreshments such as cookies and lemonade.

The district purchased its two new trucks in the summer of 2021, just months after voters approved a tax increase to update its aging equipment. Woods presented the tax increase proposal to the Board of Directors in 2021. The two trucks were originally scheduled to arrive in September before the delivery got delayed.

The first truck arrived on Nov. 27 at the Jonesburg firehouse. The district held a push-in ceremony that was delayed for 30 minutes because firefighters got a call about an accident near the High Hill overpass on I-70. Over 50 people were in attendance.

There were no delays in the second ceremony, which was originally scheduled for April. During the event, Fire Chief John Woods gave praise to the board members such as Steve Sellenriek, John Cobb, Sr., Gary Woods and Roger Hans for helping bring the new trucks to the district.

“Without their direction and leadership, we wouldn’t be here today,” Woods said. “They have been great to work with.”

Three different groups pushed the truck into the fire station. Fire Chief John Woods and district board members made the first push. Woods and board members made the first push. Then, the firefighters made the second push and community members from Jonesburg and High Hill made the third and final push.

The district first started a push-in ceremony in the 1800s, when horse carts, ladder carts and fire pumpers were horse drawn.

“After returning from a call, the horses were unable to back the apparatus into the station,” Woods said. “So firemen would unhook the horses and push the equipment into the station by hand. Over time, with the invention of motorized equipment, the need was gone, but the tradition was set.”

Before the truck was pushed into the station, several children wiped off the lower portion of the truck, which is also a tradition.

“Back in the day, because the equipment was horse drawn, there would be horse debris that the firemen don’t want on the apparatus floor,” Woods said. “So they would wash off the wheels prior to entering.”