March 9th, 2024Moment of peace captured near Beaufort fireground
In a rare moment of peace District Mechanical Officer Garry Drabsch was snapped between jobs as the haze from the recent Beaufort fire loomed nearby.
“The photo was a sheer fluke, ” said DMO Garry Drabsch.
“The reason we were in Beaufort is there was a truck that allegedly had some engine problems which we’d just checked and we were looking for a bit of a drink and a breather.”
“We were trying to find out where some other trucks were, organise diesel fuel and all sorts of things. That’s why I was sitting on that bench with my phone in my ear.”
The photo was taken on the first night of the Beaufort fire and while it was still early days the work for Garry and the DMO section was constant.
The mechanical team worked to turnaround a number of overheated trucks and get them back on the fireground as soon as possible.
“Normally it will just be ash and dust in the cooling system and the radiator and we just need to get in there and blow it all out.”
The DMOs also started to see some minor damage like broken mirrors needing to be fixed.
When the trucks are on the fireground at major fires Garry said it can be pandemonium for the mechanics and they often find themselves chasing the trucks all over the fireground.
“The whole section does a wonderful job but tends to do it on the quiet.”