LOUISA COUNTY, Va. (CBS19 NEWS) -- A new fire station is now up and running in Louisa County.

A ceremony was held at the New Bridge Fire and Rescue Station on Thursday.

Two fire station traditions were observed during the ceremony.

The first such tradition is the uncoupling of a fire hose, which is similar to a ribbon cutting.

The other involves manually pushing a fire truck and ambulance into the bay, harkening back to the days when firefighters had to push horse-drawn vehicles into their stations.

According to a release, this is the first fire and rescue station in Louisa County that has been built with county funding.

The station will be working to improve service and reduce response times around Lake Anna and improve related emergency services across the county.

Crews began their first shift in the new station Thursday afternoon.

Efforts are still underway to raise money for equipment for the new station. For more information, click here.