The fire brigade

The minister of infernal, er internal affairs, Mr Jack Elder, has called for a report on the national fleet after a fire engine lost a wheel as it entered a busy roundabout at Te Atatu.

In the incident a rear outside wheel came off the engine without warning as

firefighters returned from a call in the 14year-old vehicle.

Mr Elder said he would seek informa tion from national commanders.

The president of the Professional Firefighters Union, Mike McEnaney, said breakdowns were not surprising, “it’s all part of the general run-down and lack of maintenance”.

After due deliberation, Mr elder decid ed that bringing back horse-drawn fire engines was the only sensible thing to do.

“My poverty stricken government can no longer afford to maintain a modem fire service and the solution is to use the time honoured methods of the past.

“Horses are cheap to maintain and besides, the manure that the horses drop can be collected and used on the vegetable gardens that should be grown around all our fire stations. This will give our fire fighters valuable exercise until our carrier pigeon post informs them where the fires are raging. Eminently sensible!”

Martin Leo,

Otahuhu, Auckland, New Zealand