In a ceremony dating back to the 1800's, Dawson County ceremoniously christened a new Engine 3 last week.
Dawson County Chaplin Charles Blackstock led the prayer officially blessing the truck and said, “We hope this apparatus serves this station and community here in Kilough for another good 15-20 years.”
Fire Chief Danny Thompson spoke during the ceremony and said, "It's a tradition in the fire service called the wet down ceremony. A wet down is a ritual celebrated by many departments in the United States."
Thompson explained that the tradition began back in the 1800's when a fire battalion would return to the station and use the water tank to wet down the horses that pulled the wagon that hauled the water tank.
Dawson County Commission Chairman Billy Thurmond and District 2 Commissioner Chris Gaines also spoke to the crowd.
The group then went out into the rain and firefighters used the old engine's hose to wet down the new truck before community members pushed it into the station bay.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2019/8/825947/dawson-county-welcomes-new-fire-engine-with-traditional-ceremony