LAWRENCE, MA—With roots stretching back to 1871, Engine 5 had a battle-earned reputation as the "heartbeat" of the Lawrence Fire Deparment.
Located at Lowell Street fire headquarters, in the city's center, Engine 5 and its firefighters were "centrally located to get there as quickly as possible," explained retired Capt. Leo Boutin.
"Engine 5 has the most runs and box alarms," said Boutin, an Engine 5 veteran who retired in 2002.
"If you wanted to be an action firefighter you wanted to be on Engine 5," said Boutin.
Firefighters this week noted the loss of department history when Engine 5 was rebranded and repurposed as Engine 8 and sent to the Tower Hill neighborhood.
The Engine 8 firehouse at 309 Ames St. officially reopened during a ceremony Wednesday.
Fire Chief Brian Moriarty said the department now has a redesigned "squad" truck with rescue and pump features. The squad truck change allowed Moriarty to repurpose Engine 5 as the new Engine 8, he said.
Still, Capt. Eric Zahn, president of the Lawrence firefighters union, described Engine 5 "as the backbone of the Lawrence Fire Department."
"Engine 5 served proudly for over 140 years. It is definitely the busiest truck in the city and arguably the busiest truck in the Merrimack Valley. With the swipe of a pen, a couple of cans of paint and some repairs to a dilapidated firehouse that history has been wiped away," said Zahn, in a statement.
Zahn further noted "We in the fire service take great pride in our history and traditions."
Boutin, in a recent interview, noted in the 1970s, Engine 5 was featured in a national firefighting news magazine after responding to "thousands of incidents."
"We were in that magazine for being one of the busiest companies in the country," he said.
He said getting a spot on Engine 5 was often tough and firefighters had to wait for others to leave due to retirement or sickness.
"There are a lot of good guys who have gone through Engine 5 ... Some stayed there because want to go every time the radio chirps. They want to be on the call," said Capt. Michael Blanchard, a 26-year LFD veteran who also worked on Engine 5.
"This is not a celebration ... This is the closing of Engine 5. That's how I look at it," Blanchard said. "Because whenever you have a tradition, and they are removed, that's where the pain comes from."
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