KOTA KINABALU: A fireman’s lot is never easy, ironically at times it is not just about fighting fires and saving lives, but having to fend off death threats and be injured by the very people he is trying to save, who blame him for not salvaging their property.
Ariffin Harris experienced such a scenario twice while he was posted in Sandakan and Tawau, when he had to face the ire of the squatters there after an uncontrollable blaze completely razed their settlement.
“I tried to explain to them that our main mission in such situations is to save lives. And that property can always be bought again,” he emphasised.
“I almost lost faith in my career because the residents didn’t understand. But I had to be strong due to my compassion for the people,” he said after receiving a 30 years Special Service Certificate during the Sabah Fire and Rescue Department’s annual gathering here, yesterday.
Ariffin, 55, Sembulan Fire and Rescue chief, was one of the 35 recipients of the special certificate.
He does not deny feeling sympathetic towards people who lose their homes and property to fire.
But after more than 35 years in service, he is disappointed that there are many people who take personal safety lightly and sometimes certain individuals’ negligence end up harming others as well, he added.
Earlier during the event, Fire and Rescue Department director-general Datuk Wan Mohd Nor Ibrahim in his speech said Sabah
was not without its ‘man-made disasters’ and pointed out the accident involving a passenger train and petrol tanker on Oct 31 last year, as an example.
“Although there were no fatalities we must learn an important lesson from the mishap.
“When we consistently don’t adhere to good practices, it will become a habit to neglect important safety aspects until disaster strikes,” he said.
Wan Mohd’s speech was delivered by state Fire and Rescue director Nordin Pauzi. — Bernama