Man buys firetruck for 'peace of mind'

CHICAGO, May 22 (UPI) -- An Illinois man said he was trying to get some "peace of mind" when he bought a red firetruck and built a garage for it at his suburban Chicago home.

Peter Mitchell, 59, said the 1975 Ward LaFrance pumper-tanker he bought for $7,000 on eBay is an asset to his Schaumburg Township neighborhood, as it could provide 1,500 gallons of water in an emergency, the Chicago Tribune reported Thursday.

Mitchell said he also built a gravity water system, enabling his truck or the fire department's trucks to access water from his pool if needed.

Some neighbors are less than thrilled about Mitchell's new truck and 15-foot tall garage.

"Personally, if my house caught on fire, I wouldn't want this guy on my property. Why would I want his dirty pool water?" Audrey Mitchell, who isn't related to her garage-building neighbor, told the Tribune.

Despite criticism, Mitchell has stood by his truck.

"The peace of mind of having the water made my day," he said to the newspaper.