One of the most infamous scenes of A Christmas Story shows Flick daringly sticking his tongue to a schoolyard flagpole and being left in the cold and snow until his teacher, Miss Shields, calls the local fire department to rescue him after the bell rings. The fire truck on display at the A Christmas Story House & Museum was acquired in 2014 from Missy and Jackie Coleman of Meridian, Mississippi, who had bought the antique truck on eBay and spent several years restoring it, with Jackie tearing it down to the chassis and replacing the engine. Because the restored truck was so similar to the one used in filming A Christmas Story, it became a fitting addition to the museum. The original fire truck used in the film is owned and operated by the Chippawa Volunteer Fire Fighters Association in Niagara Fall, Canada. The 1938 Ford American La-France remains in working order, is available for public viewing at their museum, and has made several appearances at the A Christmas Story House & Museum over the years. Although the movie was set in the fictional town of Hohman, Indiana, the original truck kept the door markings identifying it as part of the Chippawa Volunteer Fire Department, and careful parking prevented the audience from seeing anything that would spoil the illusion.
