Quint-Essential: Wetdown Refreshes Community

The Caldwell Fire Department celebrated its new quint with a wetdown Saturday at Caldwell College.

Departments from as far away as Port Jervis, N.Y., and from western New Jersey towns of Stanhope, Lake Hopatcong/Jefferson Township and Budd Lake arrived with sirens blaring and hoses ready as revelers of all ages enjoyed the cool splash of water on a hot afternoon.

One of the six-hour event's first splashes came from the Lake Hopatcong/Jefferson Township and Essex Fells departments. Firefighters in full gear lept out of their trucks, unfurling hoses that unleashed a torrential downpour—and for the children, a perfect storm.

As the sirens wailed, those in attendance cheered the firefighters, who couldn't resist turning the hoses on each other. 

There was plenty of food, drinks and music by local DJ Joe Garamella to enjoy as the water spectacle occurred several hundred yards away.

Caldwell Councilman Joseph Norton was one of those who enjoyed the event with his family and said he was thrilled the department was able to acquire its .

"How do I sum this up? In one word, 'fabulous,'" he said.

As he turned to the tent of several dozen firefighters, he thought aloud of their dedication to preserving the community's safety while putting themselves in harm's way.

"What these guys do, you almost can't say it—it takes a different kind of individual to do this," he said.

For more on the wetdown, check out the video.

Download the movie