The final step was the decaling, completed by Surrey firefighter Ryan Smith, 43. A graphic designer, Smith added the lettering, striping and other images to complete the truck's realistic look.

"Just to be able to be involved in something that was so unique, to have the opportunity, was great," Smith said. "I was proud to be part of it."

By the time it was finished in mid-March, 2004, the project weighed 1,200 pounds and would have cost more than $50,000 to build, if most of the materials and labour hadn't been donated. Olsen, who had never seen it assembled, was almost as amazed as everyone else when he finally saw the completed product in the children's department at Semiahmoo Library.

"I was floored. There was a point where I just stood back and looked at it for 15 minutes," Olsen said. "I really appreciated the opportunity to do it, first of all, and secondly to be able to have full reign on it and full design control."

The project meant a lot to him, on many levels. "It's something I'm leaving behind to the kids, there's that part. As well, I have history in the fire service. Dad was one of the original Surrey firefighters. His badge number is 47," he said. "What it means to me is basically giving to the community from the fire service, from the Surrey firefighters, more so than from Rick Olsen. To be part of that and to be part of a second generation in the fire service is pretty huge."