Wet down ceremony planned

The Cairo Fire Department will host a dedication and a ceremonial “wet down” for its new aerial firefighting apparatus, designated Quint 1, on Saturday, March 7, 2009, at 1 p.m. The ceremony will take place at the Cairo Fire Department located at 555 2nd Ave. S.E. in Cairo, Ga.
Quint 1, a Rosenbauer 75’ aerial firefighting apparatus the city purchased last year, is now ready to be placed in service. Built in Lyons, South Dakota, and purchased from Firefighting Innovations based in Miami, Fla., at a cost of $457,390. The city is financing $400,000 of the vehicle purchase over 10 years at an interest rate of 3.26 percent.
According to Cairo Fire Chief Don Towne, many fire departments celebrate the arrival of a new piece of apparatus with a wet down. The wet down ceremony borrows from the tradition of christening a newly commissioned ship and is metaphorically interpreted as a baptism. The new truck is hosed down and blessed before it is put into service. The ceremony is also an opportunity to thank the mayor and city council for their efforts and support in obtaining this state of the art firefighting apparatus.
“Quint 1 will be dedicated to the citizens of Cairo with a continued commitment to provide them the very best fire protection services,” Chief Towne said.