Joplin firefighters will be joined by City officials and community members to help “move” a new 100-foot aerial ladder truck into Fire Station #1 by pushing it into the station’s bay. This will be done as part of an “Apparatus Housing Ceremony” set for Monday, June 12, as the Joplin Fire Department receives its newest truck. The event will take place at 9:30 a.m. at Station 1, 303 East 3^rd Street.

Dating back to the days of horse-drawn equipment, a traditional housing ceremony includes firefighters and others pushing the new apparatus into the firehouse. This hands-on custom is said to be adopted because the horse-drawn equipment could not be easily backed into the building. To move the equipment into the station, firefighters and community members gathered as a group to push the heavy equipment into the fire bay.

Joplin Fire Department will host the Housing Ceremony and provide information about its newest truck in their fleet. Everyone is welcome to join in this event.