TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Summer in Tucson can be brutal, but you don’t need to wait for the city to stage a big event to get a fire-engine cool-down. The Tucson Fire Department (TFD) takes neighborhood, school and community group requests for "wet downs" — crews briefly spraying water to cool off people and kids — and will bring engines and displays on demand when schedules allow.
Earlier this month, Tucson Fire crews visited several local schools, including Roskruge, Manzo and Boothe-Fickett to help students cool off and have some fun before summer break.
VIDEO: Watch one of the recent wet downs in the video below:
What you need to know
What it is: A wet down is a short, community-requested sprinkling or spray from a fire engine to help cool people during hot weather and/or to provide a fire engine display for events.
Who can request one: Official neighborhood associations, schools and community organizations can schedule wet downs and engine presentations.
What's it cost? Barrett Baker, Assistant Chief with the department tells me, "There’s no cost or donation tied into the wet downs. They fall under a request for service for us, and we just have to balance out the number of requests that come in with our ability to stay in service for emergencies that come in."
Scheduling: Requests must be made at least 30 days in advance and are limited to a maximum duration of one hour.
When it’s NOT available: Wet downs cannot be scheduled on Sundays, city holidays or during regular station training sessions.
Important caveat: Fire crews remain in active service and can be dispatched away from the event if an emergency call comes in, so the engine may need to leave early.
How to request a wet down
Click here to fill out the TFD Service/Presentation Request Form on the City of Tucson Fire Department portal (the department accepts requests via the online service/presentation form). You can also call the Request for Service line at (520) 837-7075.
Tucson Fire aims to offer neighborhood wet downs as an affordable, local way to give kids a safe, supervised way to cool off, boost community spirit and let families get up close with their local first responders.
