PETALING JAYA: Putting out flames. Battling infernos. It’s all in a day’s work for firefighters. And then there’s the unexpected.
“Once, we were called in because someone dropped a mobile phone into a toilet pit,” said Sungai Buloh fire station chief Azmel Kamarudin.
“Initially, the caller didn’t say what had fallen in. Only when we arrived did we find out it was a phone.”
Such calls, he admitted, tested the patience of the team and dispirited them.
“But we will still do our job,” he said in an interview.
Azmel spoke about other non-fire but serious cases as well.
For example, firefighters would often have to deal with situations where young children were locked inside a car after their parents accidentally left the keys inside the vehicle.
“There was a case where a father refused to let us break the car window just because he was worried about damaging his vehicle.
“In cases like this, we have to be firm. Lives always come before property,” said Azmel.
Selangor Fire and Rescue Department senior operations commander Mustakim Rimon said records from fire stations across the state showed that firefighters are frequently deployed for rescue work involving members of the public in unexpected situations.
“These include children getting stuck on stair railings or their legs trapped in a drain cover.”
In fact, he spoke of the times when firemen were called in to remove objects stuck on private parts of the body such as the “removal of rings after severe swelling”.
He said records showed firefighters often had to assist people, usually petai harvesters, stranded on tree tops.
Others sought help when their cars got stuck in muddy terrain after they were “misguided” by navigation apps.
“There are also cases involving people accidentally locking themselves out. Being locked out of a house is common, but there have been times when people got locked inside ATM premises and even clinics after doctors stepped out for lunch break,” he said.
Shah Alam Section 15 fire station chief Ahmad Nazmi Halil said some rescue missions still “traumatised” him despite decades on the job.
He recounted a horrific accident on the North-South Expressway where a lorry collided with a car.
“Three people died. And a child’s head was lodged in the lorry’s metal steps. It was extremely challenging, both physically and emotionally,” he said.
Fortunately, he has had some lighter moments, too.
Ahmad Nazmi recalled being dispatched to catch a catfish that had jumped out of a pond.
“We went there just to catch the fish and put it back into the water,” he said.
For Bukit Jelutong fire station chief Muhammad Hazrin Zulkifli, who has been serving for almost 19 years, he has seen his share of unexpected cases.
“Not long ago, we got a report of a suicide attempt at Sungai Damansara,” he said.
“When we arrived, it turned out it was just some children swimming in the river.”
Other calls, he said, may seem minor but still required persuasive skills or physical fitness.
“One couple, who were trapped inside a lift, waited for firefighters to arrive although the lift maintenance team had already arrived.
“They refused to exit the lift although maintenance staff were on site to help them.
“No matter what, we will respond and act accordingly because professionalism and safety always come first,” he said.
This includes rescuing a puppy stuck in a drain that was barely a foot deep.
“We received a call about a dog. When we got there, the drain wasn’t even deep. Perhaps the owner had panicked,” he said.
No matter the situation – big or small – Muhammad Hazrin said firemen will pay due attention to each case.
“Once we put on our uniform, professionalism always comes first. The safety and lives of the public are our ultimate priority.”
