A Wet Welcome For Engine 14

A nice warm day welcomed local residents and neighboring fire departments to honor and christen the Verona Fire Department's newest engine in a ceremonial “wet down" this Saturday, in a bit of a scaled-down celebration due to the round-the-clock efforts of area fire departments struggling in the aftermath of Hurricane Irene.

A wet down is a ritual for new fire apparatus in volunteer fire departments across the United States. Neighboring fire companies come to spray the new fire equipment with water from their trucks to welcome the new vehicle. It is a bit of an anointing and good luck measure because in many instances, neighboring fire companies assist each other with major fires in adjacent towns. The tradition is to bring good fortune to firefighters and their equipment.

An afternoon picnic for all with food and drink booths manned by the volunteers added to festivities being held at the Verona Pool.

According to Verona Fire Chief Pat McEvoy, “We expected this to be on the small side this year. Many neighboring fire departments are hurting right now and we know that many firefighters themselves are struggling with helping others and their own families with flood damage. We invited them to stop by, share some war stories, have something to eat, drink and forget about their troubles for a bit. It’s nice to see the turnout today.”

From Verona Fire Company 2, Mark Fahy, who spearheaded planning the event explained the process, “We started planning for this back in January. It takes a lot of meetings and bureaucratic processes, getting permits, insurance and permissions. Getting firefighters to attend is never a problem because they all work it into their schedule and it is always appreciated.”

The new engine is housed at Station #2 on Bloomfield Avenue, across from Everett Field.