A long-serving Wellington firefighter can chalk up another first after a callout to a toddler with a tambourine stuck on his neck.<\/p>\n
The Johnsonville crew was called to the incident at a daycare centre around 10.20am on Friday.<\/p>\n
Watch commander John Devereux said the child \u2013 thought to be about one \u2013 got the tambourine over his head and couldn’t get it off again.<\/p>\n
“He wasn’t distressed at all. It was loosely around his neck. He was wearing it like a loose collar.”<\/p>\n
Devereux said the musical instrument was made of laminated wood \u2013 no match for a pair of bolt cutters.<\/p>\n
While the toddler was distracted by the fire engine, a crew member crept around the back of his head, Devereux said and snipped the tambourine off.<\/p>\n
“I don’t think he even noticed.”<\/p>\n
The callout was a first for Devereux in his 47 years in the fire service.<\/p>\n
“I haven’t been to a tambourine over the head, but I have been to a couple of buckets over the head.”<\/p>\n
He said dishwashing liquid or snips usually sorted those out.<\/p>\n
Asked how the crew was feeling about the success, he said: “Just another day at the office.”<\/p>\n