Hillsborough County Fire Rescue's newest fire engine celebrates 'Champa Bay' sports teams

TAMPA, Fla. - Hillsborough County Fire Rescue's newest fire engine hit the streets this week, and it'll likely make you do a double-take.

The "Champa Bay" fire truck is professionally wrapped with championship logos celebrating the back-to-back Stanley Cup Champion Tampa Bay Lightning, the Super Bowl Champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the American League Champion Tampa Bay Rays.

The driver's side of the truck is dedicated to the Bucs, while the passenger's side honors the Bolts. The front and back of the fire engine celebrates the Rays.

(Hillsborough County Fire Rescue)

"We certainly recognize all the hard work that it took each of these teams to achieve what they have," Fire Chief Dennis Jones said. "It's just a great time to be in Tampa Bay."

Officials said the truck was specially designed to recognize the teams while retaining the reflective colors and other visual safety features of a traditional fire truck.

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The new engine will operate out of Station 9 in Brandon, which HCFR says is one of the busiest stations in the county.

(Hillsborough County Fire Rescue)

Officials said the truck's wrap cost Hillsborough County Fire Rescue less than $7,000, while the majority of the cost was provided by the agency's partners.

Fire rescue officials say they hope the truck is a point of pride and a morale boost for the more than 1,200 firefighters, paramedics and other staff who have worked tirelessly throughout the past 18 months during the pandemic.

"We're very proud of the teams that represent our community and we know that these teams also support the community in many ways just as the first responders do, and so we felt it was a natural connection," Jones said.