Any Other Traditions for Taking Delivery of a New Fire Trucks?

[Andrew R. Duval]

My Department will be taking delivery of a New Engine at the end of this year. It will be replacing a 1971 CF Mack. Are there any other traditions in the fire service for taking delivery of a new truck?

I have been to a dedication for a new Tower Ladder and they did a "wet down". Is this something doen for all trucks or just Aerials?

We WILLbe moving the Bulldog from the old Engine to the new one, but that is just because Mack doesn't make Fire Trucks anymore, and this will be the only non-Mack in the Station.

[ArmyTruckCompany]

Don't INSULT Mack by putting the logo of the greatest name in Firetrucks on someone else's truck!!!!

[BillyMott]

The tradition in our Dept for placing a new unit in service is DELAY . It is mind boggeling that the FD will get in 1 or 2 new pieces of equipment but it goes to the end of the line, behind the 100 new PD cars,3 new dump trucks and maybe 2 dozen garbage truck's and maybe a street sweeper, for the radio shop to mount the electronics then the fleet mechanics do their things then its finally back to our guys to mount the equipment. It is not at all unusual for a new much needed piece of apparatus (that's why we bought it in the first place) to take over a month before it goes out on it's first call. BTW, this is a town of 225,000+ with 300 fire fighters, 13 Stations, 13 engines,4 truck companies, 3 ALS engines and 10 Rescue/ambulance type vehicles. So I guess thing's aren't always better in the bigger cities after all.

[FHandz17]

We had a medium duty Freightliner rescue squad built in Oklahoma, and it showed up about 4 months late, was here 1 week and was sent back with 39 things that need to be fixed. Is it that hard to build these things. They build xthousand a year, it isn't rocket science. So...

Our Tradition.....make a list of what they screwed up and hoped we wouldn't notice, then send it back.

[Neptune 33]

I agree with Army, DON'T TAKE THE BULLDOG OFF!

[gfpd25]

we never take delivery of a new truck with a water tank, without at least some water in it,not only does it ride better but you never know what you run into on the way home
sparky

[Andrew R. Duval]

You guys completely missed the point. I asked what other traditions are there for taking delivey of a new engine. We are not driving the truck home from the plant , it is being delivered.

As for ArmyTruckCompany and Neptune 33, We don't think it is an "INSULT" to put the Bulldog from the Old Engine onto the New one. We are carrying on the Tradition of the Mack in the firehouse with a Symbol. We still have other Commerical Macks in the station, nothing custom.

As for the Insult part, why don't you talk to someone from Providence. I believe when they took delivery of thier new Special Hazards, a few years ago now, The Bulldog from the old one was placed in a spot of honor on the new Saulsbury Truck!!!!!

ArmyTruckCompany, I must have forgot to tell you that the Engine in this new Truck is a MACK!!!!!!!!!

[911WACKER]

Usually a wetdown!! Invite all your mutial aide companies for a open house, couple of half kegs on hand and display the new peice!

[Neptune 33]

hmm, it has a Mack engine in it.....ok, I guess we can make an exception....what chassis are we talkin here?