Spring cleaning at the fire station

Underbody washes help keep apparatus in great condition.

Have you ever looked at a Graafschap Fire truck and wondered why it looks so good for its age? Besides the men and women that drive them, the apparatus are some of the most valuable and important assets of the department. Trucks are washed after each call to keep the paint and chrome shiny. To keep mud and salt from building up and corroding the undercarriage, GFD designed and built an underbody washer that hooks up to a fire hose.

Each spring, GFD pulls the washer out and runs all trucks and trailers over the washer 3-4 times. Per Chief DenBleyker, “Each year we have done this, we see less and less grime and run-off from the trucks. These efforts show benefit with less maintenance costs.”

Every piece of equipment owned by the Graafschap Fire Department is shared with over 7,000 residents and businesses. It’s up to the 16 members of GFD to keep these trucks in the best shape possible.