The City of Clinton declared last Tuesday “this will be the truck that will put out the fire” as Engine 88 became a symbol of the dedication to service of fallen firefighter Michael “Mike Mike” Vinson.
Vinson died on Easter morning from injuries he sustained when the fire truck he was driving collided with a car at the intersection of Springdale Drive and Willard Road, responding to a call at I-26.
Also a Laurens County firefighter, Vinson was not the kind to sit back and just let others respond, his fire chief said. “Sometimes things get tough and you don’t want to do it,” Clinton Fire Chief Jeremy Marshall said. “As Mike Mike said, ‘come on, let’s go’ so guess what, that’s what we’re going to do.”
Vinson’s number 1288 will be retired. His name will remain permanently on the Clinton Fire Department roster with that number.
The new fire truck already had been ordered when the accident that killed Vinson occurred. Marshall said, “When word came down from the manufacturer, what number do you want to put on it, it seemed only fitting to say Engine 88. It represents Mike Mike, 1288. When this truck rolls out, it represents Mike Mike. We wanted to let the community know, to let the city know, that even though the tragedy happened, we’re going to keep moving. When the tones go off, we’re going to respond, we’re going to be there.”
Knowing that they would “leave someone out” inadvertently, Marshall and Fire Chaplain Kenny Moore thanked everyone who helped Clinton make it through those dark days after Vinson’s passing.
Moore quoted the prophet Isaiah, “when you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched,” as a promise from God to his faithful.
This new fire truck will be “a beacon, a light, a remembrance,” but always a working first responder, and Moore asked for a blessing also for the “men and women who will be on this truck because they too love each other and will do whatever is needed.”
“This will be the truck that will put out the fire,” Moore said.
“Engine 88 will be our hero.”
The Clinton Fire Department provided framed pictures of the truck and commemorative plaques for the Vinson family, for the City of Clinton, and for the firehouse. Mayor Randy Randall said, “We are so proud to have this truck and to dedicate it to Mike Mike’s memory. It is a proud moment for us; and we’re glad to have his memory held as we make the calls, as these folks put their lives on the line for us every day.”
Engine 88 already has made its debut. Randall and his granddaughter rode in it in the Whitten Center Fourth of July parade. It was the standby vehicle for a car vs electrical pole accident on East Carolina St./Hwy 76 that sparked a grass fire beside railroad tracks that run through the city.
Normally, at an event like this, firefighters would have a “push back” ceremony, in which the vehicle would be placed in neutral and the fire force would manually push into a fire bay. However, the Clinton Police/Fire Center (the former city hall) is undergoing a major renovation, so that would not be safe or practical.
Right now, the fire trucks are beside the former community center beside Broad Street United Methodist Church in Uptown Clinton, and at the Springdale Drive substation.
So, everyone was invited to place a hand on the truck; and if that was not possible, to place a hand on the shoulder of someone touching the truck, as Rev. Moore said:
“This will be the truck that everybody’s going to look at. This will be the truck that will be first on the scene. This will be the truck that will put the fires out. This will be the truck that everyone’s going to love and cherish and appreciate. Even though the city purchased this truck, we are going to give this truck to You. We’re going to dedicate it in the memory of Mike Mike. We’re going to dedicate to the City of Clinton, and we’re going to dedicate it to every person to whom this truck may respond. Will You bring down your mighty hand, and touch this truck.
“Engine 88 will be the one that goes first.”
