Saint John — A daycare operator in Saint John East has relieved the city of some of its debt load by purchasing a firetruck. “On Fire For You Baby,” owned and operated by Fanny Laflamme, will park the 2008 Bronto Skylift on its 2-acre, fenced-off property on Loch Lomond Road.
“How cool will that be?” said Laflamme. “How many kids ever have the chance to play on a firetruck?” Laflamme and her husband Burt, who started the business 2 years ago because Fanny was bored, are not sure of all the uses for the truck, but they have many ideas. “We can send the kids up the ladder for the thrill of their short lives, and we can run water slides for the kids on flat ground — blast the little darlings across the lawn.”
Fanny said they will also be renting the truck out for birthday parties and wedding receptions. “What birthday kid or bride-to-be wouldn’t want to ride a runaway hose like a bucking bronco?”
Neither of the Laflammes would admit for the record any expected daycare fee increases, but “a one-of-a-kind daycare like this should be able to demand a premium dollar. And firefighters will of course get a discount,” Fanny explained.
The city would not confirm the price of the deal. “It’s more about expense reduction,” said Deputy Mayor Shelley Rinehart. “The truck was sitting idle, yet racking up maintenance expenses. Even though it was only used for Santa Claus parades, we need to ensure all our vehicles are ready for unexpected emergencies such as a cruise ship water-cannon sendoffs or dispersion of fracking rioters.”