Dozens of people showed up to cool off under the shower of Escanaba Township Fire Department's ladder truck in the nearly-100-degree heat yesterday. The volunteer department offered the fun for two hours -- from 3 to 5 p.m. on Tuesday -- at Besse Hall on P.5 Road. The station is equipped with a hydrant connected to City of Gladstone water, which it regularly uses to fill fire trucks. Normally, the hydrant is not metered, but after the fire department announced on Monday their plan to turn the fire truck into a giant sprinkler for the community on one of the hottest days on record, the city attached a meter. (R. R. Branstrom | Daily Press)