CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARBULLETIN.COM The Honolulu Fire Department dedicated five new firefighting vehicles yesterday at a ceremony at its downtown headquarters. Assistant Fire Chief Rolland Harvest and his new Ford Expedition were blessed during the ceremony.

Fire agency shows off its new rigs in ceremony

The Honolulu Fire Department dedicated five new firefighting vehicles yesterday at a ceremony at the HFD downtown headquarters.

Most prominent among the vehicles is a 2007 Pierce Quantum pumper, or fire engine, that will be assigned to Station 19, the Aikahi Fire Station. It cost about $497,000.

Fire spokesman Capt. Terry Seelig said the pumper holds 750 gallons of water. Pumpers are the main pieces of equipment in fighting fires, he said.

The department also acquired a 2007 Ford F350 extended-cab pickup truck that will be assigned as a support vehicle to operations. It cost about $32,000.

"It's going to be used for a variety of functions, like moving people and equipment," Seelig said.

In addition, the department purchased three 2008 Ford Expeditions that would be assigned as response vehicles for its command staff during major incidents like wildfires. Each vehicle cost about $48,000.

CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARBULLETIN.COM During a ceremony at the Honolulu Fire Department's downtown headquarters yesterday, Zachary Marshall got a chance to sit in the driver's seat of the new Aikahi station fire engine. With him was Cliff Ziems, his grandfather.