A wet down is a ritual celebrated by many
volunteer fire departments in the
United States in which squads of
firefighter
A firefighter is a first responder and rescuer extensively trained in firefighting, primarily to extinguish hazardous fires that threaten life, property, and the environment as well as to rescue people and in some cases or jurisdictions also ...
s from neighboring towns ritualistically commission a new
fire apparatus by anointing it with water sprayed from the visitors'
firefighting
Firefighting is the act of extinguishing or preventing the spread of unwanted fires from threatening human lives and destroying property and the environment. A person who engages in firefighting is known as a firefighter.
Firefighters typically ...
equipment.
If two new apparatus' are commissioned, then it is considered to be a "Double Wet down". If three new apparatus' are commissioned, then it is called a "Triple Wet down". Or if four new apparatus' are commissioned, then it is considered as a "Quadruple Wet down".
History
The tradition dates back to the late 1800s, when fire departments used horses to pull a fire apparatus to fires. After fighting the fire, the crews would wash and ready the horses and the apparatus in preparation for the next call, then they would push the apparatus into the station's bay.
Wet down at present
* Princeton Fire-Rescue — July 9, 2021.
* Paducah Fire Department — August 31, 2020
* Lynchburg Fire Department — March 11, 2020
* Amarillo Fire Department — October 08, 2018
* Plano's Fire Station 2 — April 26, 2018
References
External links
* Handleman, Lillian R.
Wet Down Held for New Fire Truck, ReminderNews, 2 December 2008.
*
Red Bank Green, 15 June 2009.
*
Kinderhook Fire Department, 11 September 2005.
July 25, 2009.
Ceremonies
Firefighting
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