It’s one that the Fort Dodge Fire Department can now uphold after three coats of fire engine red were applied to its truck bay doors Thursday afternoon.

The paint job is the result of a fundraising project by the Greater Fort Dodge Growth Alliance Image Committee.

Fire Chief Steve Hergenreter was all smiles as he watched the paint being applied.

“They were the ones that brought the idea to us,” he said. “It means a lot to us. It looks a lot nicer now. Our staff really appreciates it.”

In addition to the repainted doors, a new illuminated sign will also be installed on the fire station. The old sign is original to the main part of the building.

“It’s the original sign from 1965 and it used to be illuminated,” Hergenreter said previously. “That doesn’t work.”

The doors were a mix of colors before Thursday’s paint session. They were various shades of dull browns.

Frank Lyon, owner of Lyon Painting and Remodeling, did the painting work on the doors.

He expects it to last.

“It’s a special paint with a high color retention,” he said. “All paint eventually fades, but this should last a long time.”

He was also blessed with ideal painting conditions. The sun stayed mostly behind cloud cover, which prevents the paint from drying too fast and in the wrong way. And the wind conditions were low enough to prevent a lot of overspray.

Lyon said that a total of three coats would be applied.

Hergenreter said the special paint was donated by the Fort Dodge Sherwin-Williams Paint Store. It will take about 10 gallons to cover all of the bay doors.