Firefighters, new and old, bring the apparatus into service!
After 14 years out of service, Engine Company No. 2 officially returned to duty with a traditional push-in ceremony at Omaha’s Central Fire Station!
Omaha Mayor John Ewing, City Councilman Dan Begley, Fire Chief Kathy Bossman, the assistant chiefs, Trevor Towey. President of Professional Firefighters Association Local 385, many retired firefighters and members of the media.
Roman Catholic priest, Fr. Frank Jindra, began by blessing the apparatus with holy water, praying for the safety of the firefighters and the public. Jim Boasnek, President of the Omaha Firefighters Historical Society, who was the Master of Ceremony, reflected on the long history of Engine No. 2. He noted that the company was removed during the Depression in 1932. After it returned to service it made the move to Central Station in April 1967. It was again deactivated in 2011 due to economic constraints. With the growth of Omaha’s downtown core, he explained, the need for the engine’s return had become clear.
The new Engine 2, built by Pierce Manufacturing and distributed by MacQueen Group, is capable of pumping 1,500 gallons per minute, holds 750 gallons of water, and is powered by a 510-horsepower engine. Bosanek drew a connection to Omaha’s first pumping engine, The Fire King No. 1, purchased in 1866 for $695. In contrast, the modern Engine 2 was delivered at a cost of $800,000. Like all OFD apparatus, it is equipped for both fire suppression and advanced medical response.
Bosanek also took time to recognize Charlie Whitney, a long time driver of Engine No. 2. After the engine was removed from service Whitney would tell everyone who would listen that he hoped to live long enough to see it return to service. He passed away in July 2025. By happenstance, Engine No. 2 had just been delivered to the city and and was tasked as part of Whitney’s funeral honor guard.
The highlight of the ceremony was the traditional push-in, a ritual with roots in the 1800s. Because horse-drawn fire engines could not be pushed backwards into the station, firefighters and community members would physically roll them back into the bay after returning from a call. The act became a symbolic gesture to celebrate new apparatus. In Omaha, the tradition was carried forward as retirees who had once worked on the old Engine 2 joined Fire Chief Kathy Bossman in pushing the new rig into its stall. “Although not from the horse-drawn days,” joked one firefighter, “it felt right that those who rode Engine 2 before us were the ones to help return it home.”
Retired interim Fire Chief Bill Johnson, one of the first to drive the Engine No. 2 at Central Station, recalled that assignment as “one of the best times of my career.”
The Omaha Fire Department summarized the day with a simple Facebook post: “Welcome back, Engine 2. We are proud to carry on the tradition, and excited to see Engine 2 back in service—ready to serve the citizens of Omaha.” With 25 engines now in service, the department will be better able to cover the downtown district and surrounding neighborhoods, improving response efficiency and reducing call volume on other companies.
All photos are courtesy of Mike Connor
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