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https://www.newyorker.com/news/dispatch/its-a-worldwide-problem-how-north-american-and-australian-firefighters-work-together>
"In the first couple of days after Russell arrived in Australia, he told
me, he was a little confused by the accent, and some of the local
jargon. “I thought they were calling us fairies,” he said. “ ‘How are
all you American fairies doing?’ ” He soon realized they were saying
“fireys,” the affectionate Australian term for firefighters. Bird Dog
aircraft here are called “spotters,” fire lines are “firegrounds,”
wildfires are “bushfires.” Fire engines are called appliances. “But that
makes us think of fridges and freezers,” Austin, the Canadian, said.
Austin has been on duty as an air-attack supervisor in Merimbula, on the
southern coast of New South Wales, spending much of his time in a
fixed-wing spotter, directing the aerial attacks of foam- or
gel-injected water dropped from helicopter buckets and skimmer aircraft.
At daily 9 A.M. tactical briefings, he’s had a quiet laugh to himself to
hear the varied accents of Aussies, Kiwis, Americans, and Canadians, all
speaking English to one another, sometimes unintelligibly. He welcomes
the camaraderie, and not just because it makes the daily work more
pleasant. “It feels pretty special, because its time has come,” he said.
“It’s a worldwide problem in forested areas we’re facing, and we have to
face it together.”"
Via Jim Douglas.
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://www.xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
http://www.glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
http://www.sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
