A prop used in Rob Ford's election campaign launch has raised the ire of Toronto firefighters.
A fire truck owned by Mayor Rob Ford's brother Randy was parked in a corner of the campaign launch venue Thursday night, bearing a banner claiming the mayor was "saving the taxpayers from getting burned."
In a statement, Toronto Professional Fire Fighters' Association called the mayor's use of a fire truck to promote his policies "a slap in the face to tens of thousands of Toronto residents."
Ford's decision was "utterly tasteless," said TPFFA president Ed Kennedy. "Public safety is not a game or a political trinket, it's a mayor's number one responsibility to his citizens."
The statement criticized the mayor for supporting a motion approved by City Hall that will take four fire trucks out of service starting on Monday. It also criticized the city’s cuts to several training officers last year.
"Astonishingly, the cuts and resulting delays in emergency response will save the average Toronto taxpayer a measly two cents a day," according to the statement.
"As an affected resident, I'm furious that Rob Ford is jeopardizing the safety of my family and my property in exchange for what is a cheap photo-op in support of his baseless financial claims," Kennedy said.
The mayor's brother Coun. Doug Ford addressed the criticism, telling reporters that their brother Randy bought the truck at an auction for $4,000, and that it wasn't a Toronto Fire truck.
