Alas, there were no controversial PETA babes in sight when a Baltimore County fire station revealed the area’s first fire truck emblazoned with an advertisement. Cash-strapped fire departments around the country have started to turn to local businesses to raise funds.
Earlier fears that Baltimore-area fire trucks might look tacky or feature less-than-savory ads seem to be unwarranted–at least so far. The ad on the Middle River Volunteer Fire Department truck is on the ladder, not the main part of the vehicle. It features the same red and white color scheme as the engine itself, and it advertises a local heating/cooling company. Although there has been some discussion of Baltimore City fire trucks using ads on their trucks, none have actually done so yet.
“We wanted to make sure our advertisement wasn’t tacky. It didn’t look like a NASCAR and we did it as tactful as possible,” Lt. Bill Connelly told CBS. The department plans to use the funds raised by the ad to buy a new generator.
