College Park Mayor Pro-Tem Dr. Jamelle E. McKenzie (in red coat, right) did a quick left-to-right stretching motion and found a spot in front of the new fire engine outside of Fire Station 2 on Sullivan Rd. on Thursday afternoon. Along with College Park Fire Chief Sterling Jones (center, white coat ), College Park Deputy Chief Randall Slaughter (to the right of McKenzie), and other members of the station, they all pushed the brand new fire truck into the station’s bay.  Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice COLLEGE PARK, GA. – College Park Mayor Pro-Tem Dr. Jamelle E. McKenzie did a quick left-to-right stretching motion and found a spot in front of the new fire engine outside of Fire Station 2 on Sullivan Rd. Along with College Park Fire Chief Sterling Jones, College Park Deputy Chief Randall Slaughter, and other members of the station, they all pushed the brand new fire truck into the station’s bay.   “I have been working out in anticipation of this moment,” Mayor Pro-Tem McKenzie joked.  The new fire truck and new EMT response vehicle are ready to get to work in College Park. Fire Station 2’s leadership speaks with the media and press outside of the station. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice The push-in ceremony, a time-honored tradition within the fire service profession, celebrated the official rollout of the station’s new vehicles. The $1-million fire truck, for example, has all of the equipment necessary to fight fires, according to Chief Jones. That technology includes Wi-Fi, which Jones said helps with the navigation and logistical process of fighting fires and providing emergency medical services. “It’s night and day from the trucks we had back in the day,” Jones said. Both he and Slaughter worked for the Atlanta Fire Department for decades before coming over to College Park. He added that both vehicles greatly enhance the emergency response capabilities for residents and businesses in the Sullivan Road area and surrounding communities. Fire Station 2 is surrounded by industrial properties, office parks, and warehouses.  Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice Members of the fire station have already gone through the inspection process required to begin using the vehicles. It can take more than a year from ordering a new truck to receiving it at a station, said Slaughter, who has been in the business for 35-plus years.  “I’m excited,” he said of having the new truck. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, house, kitchen, and outdoor fires, and medical emergency rates tend to rise during the Christmas holiday season. “This says that we’re committed to making sure we have state-of-the-art technology here in Clayton County,” said McKenzie moments before beginning the push-in. “They are keeping us safe, so we have to keep them safe.”  Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice The post Two new emergency vehicles are welcomed to College Park Fire Station 2 appeared first on The Atlanta Voice. ...read more read less