A good use for a muck rake

Bushfires NT and NTFRS maintain a very close working relationship in the Tennant Creek area, often jointly responding to fires and assisting each other with equipment. So when a house caught on fire at Ali-Curung Community, some 170 km from Tennant Creek, Bushfires sent down the RFCO’s brand new light truck with a combined Bushfires and NTFRS crew as well as an NTFRS “RUGFU” unit.

Once the crew arrived they set about blacking out the remains of the structure. Bushfires Captain was “pumpie” for the day as the rest of the crew systemically worked at blacking out the house. Without warning the fire pump on the Bushfires truck sprung a leak. An inspection showed that one of the bolts holding the distribution manifold to the fire pump had sheered and water was spurting out between the manifold and the pump. Captain Justin quickly improvised by sticking the handle of a muck rake into one of the manifold outlets and stopped the leaking by putting his weight on the handle, which proved to be very effective.

The incident controller, Acting OIC of Tennant Creek fire station, had been around the other side of the structure when all this occurred so he had quite a puzzled look on his face when he walked around the building and saw Justin leaning on the end of the muck rake. The look on his face showed he actually did not know what to think or say at the time. Using the old adage “a picture says a thousand words”, as the OIC came closer Justin lifted his weight off the end of rake, once again sending water spurting everywhere.

The OIC nodded and actually improved on the idea. There was soon a jerry can hanging off the end of the muck rake instead of Justin. 

Justin with the famous "Elvis" at Erica, Victoria - January 2007