Several hundred people from the North Texas area gathered at the fire station in Anna on Saturday, May 7 to celebrate the dedication of a new fire engine for the Anna Fire Department and the City of Anna on Saturday.

Representatives from fire departments in Sherman, Van Alstyne, Melissa, Westminster, McKinney, Allen, Plano and the Collin County Fire Marshal were in attendance for the event, which was sponsored by the Anna Community Development Corporation.

Fire Chief Danny Newton and Mayor Darrin Driskell spoke to the crowd about the importance of the day and the reasons to celebrate and the Anna fire fighters and officers were honored and applauded for their dedication and hard work.

Before the new engine came to the station, it was officially put into service by the Collin County Dispatch service, who sounded the AFD call siren and instructed the engine to report to the station.

McKinney Asst. Fire Chief Frank Roma spoke of the "backing into service" ceremony, a firefighter tradition going back to 1800s.

"Back then, the horse-drawn fire carriages couldn't be backed into the station, so the horses would be unhooked and the firemen would push the carriage into the station," Roma explained.

The Anna firefighters then pushed the engine into the station in a symbolic and celebratory tradition. The colors were presented by Anna Cub Scout Pack 293.

(Photos courtesy of Marcus Elliott, <i>Anna Tribune</i>)