Fire Department dedicates new engine and heavy rescue with ceremonial wet-down

The North Charleston Fire Department will hold a traditional wet-down ceremony for an Engine and a Heavy Rescue that has joined the fleet on Monday, June 11, 2012 at 1:00pm at the North Charleston and American LaFrance Fire Museum. Both trucks will operate from Fire Station #7 on Leeds Avenue and will replace a 1995 Engine and a 2002 Heavy Rescue.

Both trucks were built by Pierce Manufacturing in Appleton, WI are based on the Arrow XT chassis.

A wet-down ceremony is a traditional welcome for a fire apparatus or station. The tradition originated in historic east coast fire departments when changing out old fire pumpers for the new. The horses would be unhitched and water was transferred to the new apparatus. It would then be dried off and pushed into the stall for service.

Engine photo from Pierce Manufacturing
Heavy Rescue photo from Pierce Manufacturing
Photos of the Heavy Rescue while parked behind City Hall