Members of the Mesa community are in a competition to name a mini fire truck designed to honor the department's 125th anniversary.
Mesa Fire and Medical Department's (MFMD) Mini Engine Company 1898 was built to honor the department's rich history and they decided to get the residents involved in naming the truck.
The department was founded by a small group of volunteers who protected a one-square-mile area of Mesa in 1898. Today, they protect 139 square miles with 500 firefighters from 21 fire stations.
The truck was built on a Polaris ATV frame, according to Mesa Fire Public Information Officer Marrisa Ramírez-Ramos.
"In just three months, the MFMD's talented maintenance team, with the help of some amazing local Mesa businesses who donated bodywork, paint, decals, and aluminum, built this to look identical to our frontline apparatus," Ramírez-Ramos told Firehouse.com.
The truck was unveiled during the department's annual family picnic in March and has appeared at other community events.
In August, it was part of a parade that passed by a senior living community to celebrate a resident's 105th birthday, and it was showcased at the annual Fire Prevention Month pancake breakfast and a recent Veterans Day Parade.
"We have received so many positive comments from the community, either online via our social media accounts or from the community events where the mini truck has been on display," she said. "Kids love the fact that the truck is their size and accessible to them and that it so identically looks like a responding apparatus. Adults are just as amazed and become an instant kid when they get the opportunity to see the mini truck up close."
City residents have until the end of the month to take part in the naming content, and she said the number of submissions has been steady.
"There are some really good names being floated out there, so we can't wait to see them all and are looking forward to announcing a winner."
The winner and a guest will ride the truck in the 2024 Martin Luther King parade.
"We love involving the community in our events," Ramírez-Ramos said. "When we open new stations or get a new apparatus we often host large-scale community events to provide an opportunity for public display, education, and most importantly strengthening the bond we have with those we serve."
