Engine No. 1 is roaring down Livingston Avenue, lights flashing, sirens blaring, horn honking, engines racing, pulses pounding.
And in the back seat, Antonio is wearing his custom-made turnout gear, fire helmet and a big smile.
After being sworn in as an honorary member of the New Brunswick Fire Department by Mayor Jim Cahill on Wednesday, Nov. 9, he and this four-man crew are simulating what it would be like to dash through the city to the scene of a call. “Are you having a good time, Antonio?” asked firefighter Francis Serge as Engine No. 1 turned onto Jersey Avenue.
“Oh, yeah!” replied Antonio, with a laugh and a thumbs-up sign. Antonio spent his 10th birthday with dozens of members of the city’s fire department, the mayor, City Council President Suzanne Sicora Ludwig and others in an event organized through the local chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation.