Thats what you call a wetdown people!

[AS702 0]

That's the "standard" response for anyone from:  1) a career dept., 2) a "big" city, or 3) an area of the country where they don't have wetdowns.  No surprise here. 

I wonder what they'd think of guys like us who actually venture outside of our home county to attend such events?  On second thought, maybe I don't want to know!

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Or that can be from someone who has been around the fire service for many years.. When you figure in all the costs, its not cheap at all.. For depts who dont receive generous funding from the town, a wetdown will never seem likely..

[AndyC3J 190]

Sometimes food, etc. gets donated, and they don't always have bands, attractions for kids, etc. The smaller the town, the more simple it gets. More than once, locally, I've seen the food consist of hamburgers and/or hotdogs being cooked by a neighboring department who donated their time to help out. Mutual aid coverage is worked out ahead of time, and if a "serious" incident erupts, then the thing gets shut down. I've heard of that happening once.

[vodoly 535]

Donations from Local business here Helped our wetdown in 2004 For those that know Englewood Cliffs Area there was good amount donated cooking was done by dept member's & yes they were covered by mutual aid the day of event

[Jason762 2]

Mutual aid coverage is worked out ahead of time, and if a "serious" incident erupts, then the thing gets shut down.  I've heard of that happening once.

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Thats a good idea, drunk FF's only respond to "serious" incidents, seems safe. Shouldn't the dept. be OOS regardless of incident type until the next morning?

[AS702 0]

If something serious was to erupt, the wetdown normally wouldn't get shut down.. Besides the fact that if it is not at the firehouse, their turnout isn't normally there..

Edited May 11, 2006 by AS702

[AndyC3J 190]

Thats a good idea, drunk FF's only respond to "serious" incidents, seems safe.  Shouldn't the dept. be OOS regardless of incident type until the next morning?

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Ummm.....well, I didn't think of it from that point of view. Sadly, times have changed since 1984, when the incident in question occurred. The way things work today, it probably is best that the dept. remain OOS. If everyone were to be "responsible" and not get "drunk", it wouldn't matter.....but we all know that doesn't happen.

[JetPhoto 626]

Wow, what a waste of time, people and equiptment

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You know there are not too many things from the past in the fire service that continues today. Get away from the lawyer sue mentality and have fun! Is it a waste of time to celebrate things with the public? Are people having fun? Is the equipment ready to roll on a job if it has to? (well maybe not buried in foam, minor detail)

Have fun, do it safely and thank the public for their support.

[MESS11FOREVER 246]

Donations from Local business here Helped   our wetdown in 2004 For those that know Englewood Cliffs Area there was good amount donated cooking was done by dept member's & yes they were covered by mutual aid the day of event

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Hey whats up friend send me your AOL screename to H0ckeyfan314@aol.com

(zero after h) regarding pictures of your apparatus.. I need a pic of engine 2

maybe we could set up a time where i could meet you down at your firehouse

thanx

Edited May 12, 2006 by MESS11FOREVER

[Guest]

You know there are not too many things from the past in the fire service that continues today. Get away from the lawyer sue mentality and have fun! Is it a waste of time to celebrate things with the public? Are people having fun? Is the equipment ready to roll on a job if it has to? (well maybe not buried in foam, minor detail)

Have fun, do it safely and thank the public for their support.

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Hey, JetPhoto, you have to read my second post. I think the wet down is a great thing!! I'm all for tradition for the sake of tradition at times. However, things have to be kept within' reason. Thats all I'm sayin'.

[res6cue 67]

I have mixed feelings about wetdowns. Having helped plan and host a few of them in my day, as well as attending and participating in others, I've had good fun for sure. They are a great way to let of some steam and build morale. It's nice to have the public be able to see where their tax dollars are going, and why (meaning the rig, not the beer lol).

Seriously though, the downside is when they get out of control. We stopped having them "wet" for a while in our county in the early 90s after an incident where some chuckleheads blew out the glass bay windows of a neighboring station while hitting the truck with a STRAIGHT STREAM, causing injury to bystanders. For a while, we couldn't even call them "wetdowns", they were "dedications". Since that time, almost all fliers that go out specifically state "FOG STREAM ONLY!" and it is enforced as much as it can be. As a matter of fact, during the ban in our county, a neighboring dept blew foam peanuts all over the two new trucks we got. Wow, what a god awful mess that was.

By the way, regarding the foam issue...any foam we've ever done was always done with a $1.29 bottle of dish soap, not actual Class A or B foam. I'm sure some depts use real foam, hopefully if so they're using the cheap training crap or some old cans that are past their useful service date for actual firefighting application. Actually, foam is not great for the paint/clearcoat (especially on a new rig), so it's not such a great thing to use in the first place.

[e290l103 3]

The rig that was buried in suds was Wallington's ladder. it was dish soap, not foam.

[Guest]

Well then, that was one clean, fresh-scented truck afterwards !!!!LOL! Lemon or Pine ???? just kiddin'........

[x648eng119 2]

Actually, foam is not great for the paint/clearcoat (especially on a new rig), so it's not such a great thing to use in the first place.

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Niether is dish soap. Obviously it's not as harmful as foam may be, but it does strip wax. It does the same thing to the rig that it does to the grease on your frying pans. Throw a good coat of wax on before and after something like that.

[AndyC3J 190]

"Real" foam probably wouldn't be too healthy for all the kids running around in it either, correct?

[junior215 0]

First off, wetdowns are part of the volunteer tradition and have a place. Just stay OOS, no drunk members on rigs, and NO FOAM.

Jason762 has legiamite concersn about drunk members, but I think discipline on the chief and officer level may curb this.

And, by the way, waxing paint that is less than 6 months old may damage the clear-coat, so be careful.

[Guest maximbull]

*photo courtesy of www.oradellfire.org

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now that is a wet down all about the new rig ,and a good time

Edited May 13, 2006 by maximbull

[Guest]

Lyndhurst Truck 1 Wetdown May 21,2006

Edited May 24, 2006 by niteworkers

[Guest]

Rutherford Triple Wetdown May 6th, 2006

[Guest]

Strictly my opinion (since I'm not associated with any dept. or squad), but a good wetdown serves several purposes.

Becoming familiar, and getting to know the members of the surrounding agencies. I suspect this may make one more comfortable at an actual scene, when you know the members responding to your mutual aid request.

Letting the general public visit your house, see your equipment up close, and get to know the members may help in getting them to contribute, or assist in future fund raising events.

Involving the kids, having them around and enjoying themselves may have a lasting impression so they will want to volunteer when they are older.

Lastly, they are a lot of fun! :angry:

[JohnnyOV 2]

Was it FOAM, or was it DISHSOAP????

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dish soap actually works very well for pracetice and what not...We used it at the fire academy in FL, just regular dawn soap and we had a nice foam blanket on the parking lot

[Guest]

the cost of the foam is a pittance compared to the salaries of career guys who work 2 days a week

[Jason762 2]

the cost of the foam is a pittance compared to the salaries of career guys who work 2 days a week

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Sounds to me like the ranting of another jealous wannabe. Let's explore the 2 day a week comment. OK, we work 24 hours on and 72 hours off. That works out to 42 hours a week over the course of a year. That means being away from family for 24 hours at a clip, sometimes on holidays, birthdays, etc. And I am by no means complaining, I love my job and I wouldn't have it any other way. As for our salaries, I'm not sure where Mr. sutphenrider is talking about but I don't see any FF's getting rich off of this job. So before you open your mouth, get your facts straight, get your head out of your rear end, and stop being jealous of those that could get on a job that apparantely you never could.

[res6cue 67]

Jason, I don't think it's even worth engaging him over his ridiculous and ignorant statement.

Also, not every vollie is a wannabe or jealous of career guys, yet all too often I hear comments like yours from career guys. You should really heed your own advice and get your own facts straight before being so quick to jump to the conclusion that we all are career dept rejects. I assure you it's just not true.

[Jason762 2]

Jason, I don't think it's even worth engaging him over his ridiculous and ignorant statement.

Also, not every vollie is a wannabe or jealous of career guys, yet all too often I hear comments like yours from career guys. You should really heed your own advice and get your own facts straight before being so quick to jump to the conclusion that we all are career dept rejects. I assure you it's just not true.

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I'm not saying that all vols are. I was one once, and I still am friends with plenty. It's just ridiculous statements like his show the caliber of certain individuals. I suppose its easy though when you're hiding behind a screen name and aren't man enough to show who you are. I was in no way incinuating all vols are wannabes, just this one character, his post did reak of sour grapes.

[spin_the_wheel 460]

That's the "standard" response for anyone from:  1) a career dept., 2) a "big" city, or 3) an area of the country where they don't have wetdowns.  No surprise here. 

I wonder what they'd think of guys like us who actually venture outside of our home county to attend such events?  On second thought, maybe I don't want to know!

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I agree 100% with your thoughts and was going to respond almost the same way till i scrolled down and saw yours.........

[AndyC3J 190]

Speaking of which, Ladder47, anything going on in your neck of the woods?

[spin_the_wheel 460]

Speaking of which, Ladder47, anything going on in your neck of the woods?

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Off hand I don't know of any but this is a good site to go to for LI info if you don't already know of it..... http://www.fireemsli.proboards26.com

[IzzyEng4 427]

WETDOWN

June 17th, 2006

Charters Hose Company No. 4

Ansonia, CT Fire Department (New Haven County off CT Route 8)

12 to 4 pm

4 Murray Street

Ansonia, CT 06401

2006 Smeal / Spartan LFD 1500 / 500 / 40-B / 20-A pumper