An ageing Green Goddess had to be towed away after breaking down in Colchester - 24 hours before the result of a national fire strike ballot over pay was being announced.
The Army and RAF have been training with the engines, which date from the Cold War, in case they have to cover for firefighters.
The machine broke down at about 4.30pm yesterday and was stranded at Middleborough before finally being towed away.
Fire Brigades' Union divisional representative Brian Hooper had already warned it was not known how long the unreliable old machines would last.
The Army and RAF personnel, who are training at a secret site, have been getting ready to man some of the 51 fire stations in Essex that could be deserted in a week's time.
If the strike action gets a majority approval, the earliest date for striking will be October 25, giving the required seven-day notice to bosses.
Published Friday October 18, 2002
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