KANNAPOLIS — Fire Engine 51, the first new fire truck for the department since 2018,  is now in service and responding to emergency calls following a washdown ceremony at Kannapolis Fire Station 5.

The ceremony took place on Feb. 25 at Fire Station 5, 2046 Barr Road.

The traditional washdown ceremony is literally hosing the truck down, with those in attendance washing away the water and then backing the truck into the station.

This good luck ceremony stems from the 1800s when fire departments used horse-drawn pumpers with steam engines. Following the engines’ return to the station, the community would come and care for and brush down the horses, and the trucks would be washed and then pushed backed into the station by hand. The ceremony remains a symbol of fire service unity and serves as a way to honor the history found in fire departments across the nation.

“The fire service is steeped in tradition which often revolves around the community it serves,” said Fire Chief Tracy Winecoff. “Although an old tradition, the wash down and push-in ceremony has become a great way for us to recognize the important role that our apparatus plays in our day to day operations and to allows our community too see the impact of this new equipment in person.”

Engine 51 replaces an engine the department purchased in 2003. This new engine cost approximately $1 million, holds 1,000 gallons of water, weighs approximately 50,000 pounds and seats a crew of five.

This new engine and Fire Station 5 services the Kannapolis Parkway, N.C. 73 and Afton areas of the city. The station typically responds to 1,200 medical and fire calls annually.