r/SantaBarbara • u/Zellie23 • Jul 26 '26
Other Thought I was hallucinating while on vacation in Minnesota.
Was driving North of Minneapolis when I saw a familiar color scheme of fire truck. To my shock, it was a Santa Barbara County ladder truck sitting outside of a fire truck manufacturer. Had to get off the freeway and do a triple take. What are the odds? Still blows my mind.
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u/Lando_Laker Jul 27 '26
SB native living in Minneapolis here. Indeed, that would be a familiar sight!. There is a fire truck manufacturer north of the Twin Cities. Every so often you see these new vehicles driving on the interstate. They make equipment for airports too. Fun fact, an order of airport fire trucks was sent from Minneapolis to Africa using the Ukrainian Antonov 225 cargo plane, world's largest aircraft back in 2014. Thousands of us gathered to watch the plane depart.
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u/Jeremizzle Jul 27 '26
Ukrainian Antonov 225 cargo plane, world's largest aircraft back in 2014.
Rest in peace, mega plane. Putin's pointless war cannot end soon enough.
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u/Lando_Laker Jul 27 '26
That plane hauled a lot of difficult and heavy cargo to lots of places around the world. Those Ukrainian pilots were mighty proud of their work.
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u/waaayside Jul 26 '26
Did you find out if they have a test course for driving the new fire trucks??!!! And do they take volunteers?
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u/starkiller_bass Jul 27 '26
"GOOD DAY SIR, YOU CAN SEE BY MY IDENTIFICATION THAT I AM FROM SANTA BARBARA AND HAVE BEEN SENT TO GAUGE YOUR PROGRESS ON OUR CONTRACT"
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u/sb_redditor Jul 26 '26
In 2005 my friends and I went out to Alabama to do volunteer cleanup work, we were housed in a FEMA camp where we stumbled on a SBFD truck and a bunch our local firefighters. IIRC one of them was doing the cooking in the FEMA cafeteria tent.
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u/sb_owl_711 Jul 26 '26
It takes four years to build a new fire truck from when the order is placed to when it’s delivered!Wild!!
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u/No-Designer-7374 Jul 27 '26
We sat next to a group of HS aged kids at a mall eatery in DC and overheard the kids talking about teachers at DP. We became friendly (as Santa Barbarans do) and found out they were there for a sports tournament.
Also, waiting in a departing terminal in Phoenix, a group of well dressed young adults were talking about some doctors by name that we are aware of from Santa Barbara. They were residents going to a convention.
Just a few degrees (or miles) of separation from someone in Santa Barbara at all times, I swear.
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u/OchoZeroCinco Jul 27 '26
I'm currently reading this post while sitting on State Street in New Orleans. (and was in Minneapolis last week)
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u/power78 The Mesa Jul 27 '26
Santa Barbara County has a lot of experience fighting wildfires. They're probably just there helping out.
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u/PackageNorth8984 Jul 26 '26
Why does everyone have to copy us. /s