JOPLIN, Mo. — Joplin firefighters will be joined by City of Joplin officials and community members during a “wet down” ceremony for the new ladder truck being put into service at Joplin Fire Station #5.
WHAT: Introduce new ladder truck in traditional wet down ceremony.
WHERE: Joplin Fire Station No.5, 3223 S Texas Ave.
WHEN: 3 p.m. Wednesday, June 22
NOTE: Parking is available on the southwest side of the Food 4 Less parking lot.
Courtesy Joplin Fire Dept.
After the wet down portion of the event, participants can join firefighters to “push” the truck into the station to be ready for the next call.
“This tradition of wetting down a fire truck as it begins service is reminiscent of the late 1800’s 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. Crews push the apparatus into the station’s bay because the horse-drawn equipment could not be easily backed into the building. To move the equipment into the station, firefighters and community members gathered as a group to push the heavy equipment into the fire bay.” — CITY OF JOPLIN
SPECS: The new aerial ladder truck has 107 feet of vertical and 100 feet of horizontal reach without compromising on water capacity, performance, or safety. “It provides firefighters flexibility and a wide range of options to manage fires efficiently and effectively at high elevations,” City of Joplin states.
The ladder truck was funded through the Public Safety Sales Tax that voters approved in 2006.
Everyone in the community is welcome to join in this event.
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Shannon Becker was born and raised in Joplin and began in radio before graduating from Joplin Senior High in 1990. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mass communications from Missouri Southern State University (1994). Before launching Joplin News First in 2017, he worked in television and radio, overlapping a career in the music industry. He worked with major music artists for 20 years, garnering gold and platinum records to his credit. He comes to KOAM 7 News Now-CBS/FOX (Morgan-Murphy Media) with more than 30 years in media and entertainment. He previously worked for KOAM. He has five children and two grandchildren.
