OFFICIAL PORTAL
PRIME MINISTER'S DEPARTMENT
NATIONAL DISASTER MANAGEMENT AGENCY
PRIME MINISTER'S DEPARTMENT
NATIONAL DISASTER MANAGEMENT AGENCY
Firemen brave extreme heat to carry out duties during fasting month
- Admin UKK
- Berita
KUANTAN: As the scorching afternoon heat intensifies and thick white smoke blows towards him, fireman Mohd Hilmi Jamaludin remains steadfast under the tough conditions to battle the fire at a coconut plantation near the Kuantan-Sungai Ular bypass stretch here today (March 4).
Despite the physical toll of fasting — from dawn to dusk — the 55-year-old from the Gebeng fire and rescue station here continues to push through the gruelling conditions, working tirelessly to help bring the fire under control.
A seasoned campaigner in dealing with forest, bush and peat fires, Hilmi said the heat from the burning embers has been posing a huge challenge for firemen to tackle the massive blaze.
"Putting out the fire in an open area under the sun while observing the holy month of Ramadan is quite an experience.
The strong wind is not doing any good and instead has spread the fire further in some areas forcing us to react fast to avoid it from getting out of hand.
"I have been involved in forest fires for about 30 years and use techniques based on my previous experience to tackle the situation here.
There is a technique to move around when surrounded in thick smoke or near the burning site....one wrong move and you can end up injured.
"We have divided the burning sites into sections and each section has a person-in-charge.
Each head will be given a walkie-talkie so that he can consistently update the temporary base at the site on their movements and operation," he said when met at the plantation site today (March 4).
Hilmi said the firemen would usually perform their prayers at a cleaned area near the burning site and sometimes break fast with water or dates before returning to the temporary base to have other meals.
"We can break fast at the temporary base but the journey out is quite challenging due to the narrow roads. So for the past three days, we have been breaking fast at the site with light meals before returning to the base," he said
Meanwhile, his superior Zahidah Ali, 55, who is the Gebeng fire and rescue station chief, and only woman in the operation, said she has not had the opportunity to return home and break fast with her family since Sunday (March 2).
"I have been breaking my fast with the rest of my team members at the temporary base.
It might be a new experience for some of us but I am quite used to it as I have joined similar operations to douse forest fires during the fasting month in the past.
"I am the person in-charge here as the fire incident occurred at a site under my jurisdiction so I have to be around to give instruction and plan our movements. This is part and parcel of the job," she said.
The duo are among 70-odd firemen involved in putting out the peat fire at the coconut plantation here which broke out on Feb 22.