Editor’s note: For those who haven’t caught on, note the date of publication. Happy April Fools’ Day! We hope you enjoyed our series of articles to mark April 1. Check out the full round-up here.
CLUTTSVILLE, Minn. — Faced with a barrage of criticism over taking fire trucks and ambulances out of service to save costs, a mayor has caused further controversy — by replacing them with inflatable emergency vehicles.
Mayor Shirley U. Jest said she ordered the new “fleet” after community members demanded she either bring the trucks back to the local station or quit.
“I can understand why residents are alarmed when they walk past the station and see it almost empty, so I’m prepared to meet them halfway,” she said.
“I realize their spirits are a little deflated, but hopefully this will solve the issue a little while we wait for the expected bounce in the economy.”
While Mayor Jest refused to be drawn on how much the inflatable vehicles cost, she insisted she bagged a good deal by arranging for the suppliers to throw in a revolutionary inflation device free of charge.
“The manufacturer actually came up with something they call the ‘Air Package Repository Invention Loader,’” she told reporters.
“Basically, you place the device in an area where hot air naturally occurs, and this is then automatically collected and stored in the Loader.
“We tested it for the first time at our council meeting last week and were able to collect enough hot air to keep the new vehicles filled until at least April 1, 2013, according to our calculations.”