Clark County Fire District 6 will place two beautiful new Pierce fire engines into service this week in two of their firehouses. Engine ‘E61’ will be placed in service on January 21, 2016 at Fire District 6 Headquarters, 8800 NE Hazel Dell Avenue. Engine ‘E63’ will be placed in service on January 22 at the Salmon Creek Station 63, 1200 NE 134th Street, both at approximately 7:50 AM on each respective day.
The pumpers will be put to work after a traditional “wetting down” ceremony prior to shift change on those days. The “wetting down” ritual is a fire service tradition, as in the early years of the fire service – before motorized trucks – when a new horse was brought into service, the firefighters “wetted it down” by giving it an inaugural bath. The apparatus were also always unhitched from their team and pushed into the bay.
“It’s a rare privilege to place a new pumper into service,” Chief Jerry Green said, “but two beautiful new engines for this community has to be recognized with the best of fire service traditions. We want to thank the citizens of the Fire District by doing this right.”
Members of the public are invited to attend either of the brief ceremonies.