Photo: Kristen Holliday

The newest KFR fire engine was welcomed with a push-in ceremony on Friday, Nov. 29.

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Photo: Kristen Holliday Photo: Kristen Holliday Photo: Kristen Holliday Photo: Kristen Holliday

Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc and City of Kamloops representatives took part in a push-in ceremony Friday, welcoming the newest fire engine to the Kamloops Fire Rescue fleet.

Firefighters and representatives from both governments stood shoulder to shoulder to push the heavy engine through the garage bay doors at Fire Station No. 1.

Ken Uzeloc, fire chief and the city’s protective services director, said along with celebrating the new apparatus, Friday marked the formal debut of the Tk’emlups te Secwepemc logo emblazoned on the side of the KFR trucks.

“We're very honoured to have this on our trucks going forward. We will also be retrofitting our existing trucks with that — and we hope that this just brings the two communities even closer together,” Uzeloc said.

He said by adding the logo, KFR members are acknowledging they work on Secwepemc land, and are ensuring that TteS knows “we are also your fire service.”

“We are there to serve you," Uzeloc said. "We are there to help protect just as we do over here."

The new fire engine received a blessing from a TteS elder before it was carefully and ceremonially pushed into the station’s apparatus bay.