The Kissimmee Fire Department put its three newest pieces of life-saving equipment — Engines 13 and 14 and the stories-high reaching Tower 11 — into service Tuesday during a traditional Wet Down & Push Back Ceremony at Fire Station 11 just northeast of downtown Kissimmee.
The wash down part of the ceremony stemmed from the tradition of a department’s new fire apparatus being sprayed with water from neighboring department’s units and the apparatus it is replacing. The push back dates to hand-drawn, and then later horse-drawn, fire apparatus had to be pushed back into the station by hand. The ceremony is to honor the past as the department celebrates the future.
During the ceremony, a number of KFD and City of Kissimmee officials helped push the tower and engines into the station.
“The is the third one I've been a part of since I became chief. It's special to us," said Kissimmee Fire Chief Jim Walls. “These beautiful, state-of-the-art apparatus will be in service to protect our community for years to come. We want to thank the Sutphen Corp, South Florida Emergency Vehicles, our apparatus committee, City staff, and the City Commission for all their efforts in bringing these trucks to the City.”
