Firefighters spray down DSHS Marching Band after hot practice

The crew at North Hays County Fire Station 71 responded to a call that the DSHS Marching Band’s brass section was blowing too hot on August 1, and gave the entire band a refreshing encore with a water spray to cool them down.

The spray down happened at the end of the band’s practice at Dripping Springs high school. The crew of Lt. Joe Cardenas, driver operator Chirs Moore and firefighters Brian St Jacques and Garrett Blumhagen performed the spray down.

According to Jeanine Southall from North Hays County Fire Rescue, “It's become a bit of tradition at the end of each school year for the Elementary Schools in Dripping Springs to have us come out for 5th grade spraydowns. It's usually on the last day of school when the 5th graders celebrate their graduation before moving to Middle School with an end-of-year field day that might include colored foam or running through dyes (each school does something different).

The spray downs last a few minutes but the kids love it when they get to run through water being sprayed from a fire truck, and it;’s a lot of fun for the firefighters.” Southall said.

This year, the Dripping Springs HS Band got the spray down on a hot afternoon. Although school does not start until August 13, the band is hard at work on their off days practicing for their upcomings season.

For any of the spraydowns, the fire department takes into consideration whether the county is in a drought or stage 4 water restrictions, and adjusts its participation accordingly. The fire department also gets permission from Dripping Springs Water Supply Corp. when needed.

DSHS Director of Bands, Derek Woods said, “We were so thankful to the staff at the North Hays County Fire and Rescue and the Dripping Springs Water Corporation for letting us revive a beloved tradition this week. It means so much to our 200 high school band performers to know that their community supports their hard work and cares enough to make it a little bit cooler.'