The Paducah Fire Department is inviting the community to Paducah Fire Station No. 1 located at 301 Washington St. for a Wetdown and Housing Ceremony for Engine 1. The ceremony will start at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, May 7.
Members of the Fire Department and the Paducah Board of Commissioners will welcome the newest addition to Paducah’s fleet with this traditional ceremony that involves spraying down a new apparatus, hand drying it, and then pushing it into the station. The tradition dates back to the late 1800’s when 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. Then, they would push the apparatus into the station’s bay.
Engine 1, which recently went into service, replaces a 2013 model which has been moved into reserve status. New Engine 1 has a 1500 gallons per minute (gpm) pump and carries 750 gallons of water onboard. Engine 1 also carries 1075 feet of 5-inch supply hose, 1250 feet of 1 ¾-inch attack hose, 400 feet of 2 ½-inch attack hose, and 200 feet of 3-inch hose, along with extrication, ventilation, and additional firefighting tools.
The new engine is a Sabre manufactured by Pierce Manufacturing in Bradenton, FL.
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