These Wisconsin police and fire departments prank social media followers on April Fools' Day. Kwik Trip does, too.
It's April Fools' Day, and even though wintry weather this time of year isn't unusual for Wisconsin, many might feel snow in April is the greatest joke of all.
Many local police and fire agencies chose to strike a more serious tone for the holiday, in light of a winter storm Friday that dropped over a foot of snow on the Northwoods and left nearly 25,000 Wisconsinites without power. Several agencies referenced the day while urging residents to delay travel.
"Mother Nature sure got us good this April Fools," the Oneida County Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook post.
Still, several Wisconsin police and fire departments — along with one well-known convenience-store chain — decided to indulge in a prank or two on their social media pages Saturday, to the delight of their followers.
The Green Bay Metro Fire Department will repaint trucks since 'red is out and green is in'
The fire department said the redesign will symbolize "lush foliage and rich greenery" and, as many commenters pointed out, is also a tribute to the Green Bay Packers.
The Altoona Police Department redesigns badges in honor of a beloved therapy dog
The police department, located on the eastern edge of Eau Claire, regularly posts about its therapy dog named Donut on Facebook and TikTok. Donut is a 4-year-old labradoodle that's trained to provide mental health support to officers, dispatchers, students and other community members.
In honor of Donut, the department announced it would update its badges with a picture of the dog and his sweet-treat namesake.
A Sheboygan County fire department claims its firefighting zeppelin inspired a certain band name
The Silver Creek Fire Department claims its firefighting zeppelin, launched in 1968, was called "The Hero of the Sky" by "literally everyone" and was the inspiration for the band Led Zeppelin.
The Wausau Fire Department announces a new police tactical unit that looks suspiciously like a blue-painted ladder truck
The new vehicle, announced as a partnership between the Wausau Fire Department and the Wausau Police department, will be "tactically deployed when extremely technical tactics are needed to tactically mitigate tactical incidents," the fire department said.
Meanwhile, the Wausau Police Department will roll out Onewheels for its officers 'to enhance job enjoyment'
Not to be outdone, the Wausau Police Department announced about 20 minutes later that its officers would soon cover their beats on Onewheels, a personal transporter that looks like something between a skateboard and a Segway.
The department announced the move would "deploy officers more quickly in the field, increase community engagement, and enhance job enjoyment."
Bonus: Kwik Trip announces its first 'vacation rental'
The La Crosse-based convenience-store chain's social media followers immediately got the joke, especially once they followed the "booking link." But many sounded genuinely interested in relaxing on a sofa inside the beer cooler and indulging in an endless pile of Hot Spot eats.
Rebecca Loroff is a breaking and trending news reporter for USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin. Contact her at rloroff@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Wisconsin police, fire departments, Kwik Trip post April Fool's jokes
