A day in the life of a fire-fighter

BURGERSFORT – When danger calls they are there to act, risking their lives in the line of duty. They are the firefighters. At some stage in their lives it is almost every boy’s childhood dream to become one.

But a child only sees the fancy suit, shiny helmet and red fire engines. What we are not aware of are the hours of effort, the terrible disasters and frightening situations a firefighter has to face in their work.

It was an eye-opener to spend a working day with them.

I was greeted on the morning shift by Madifateng Choma who guided me on a tour through the station. I noticed an upright building about 20 metres high called “the tower” with five levels or platforms where training takes place.

As part of their training, the crew has to pull fire hoses up to all five levels. She explained how they use the ladders from the fire engines to reach different levels to put out “pretend” fires. Training is of utmost importance – they have to be prepared for any unforeseen situation.

Basic fitness is done at the beginning of every shift. I even jogged with them although I knew that I could never keep up. Then it was time for push-ups and sit-ups. Crew members are eager to do their physical training to maintain their health. Part of their daily duty is to inspect and clean their equipment.

The fire house is almost like a second home to these selfless people. When all their tasks have been done, and no calls received, they sometimes take a break to watch television in a small lounge. There is a fully equipped kitchen where people can prepare meals.

We talked about their career – the highs and lows. Madifateng recalled a motor vehicle accident on the R36 where a three-year-old child passed away shortly afterwards. “A car accident on the R37 where two old people died had an enormous impact on me. What haunts me is the horrible sight of their bodies,” says Belinah Mashifang.

Thimothy Moraba said a structural fire where they rescued a man’s car from a burning building stuck in his mind. “It was nice getting praised for what we did,” explained Thimothy.

“It is always tragic when children are involved. There was a motor vehicle accident on the R37 where a Polo was trapped next to a building, three women and one child died,” says Jabulani Maile.

I thought to myself that being a reporter at an accident scene, I take photos, obtain information and then leave, but these brave people have to fight for lives, fight till the fire is extinguished… fight till the battle is won. The station is equipped with two fire engines (a single and a double cab), a rescue vehicle and two Skit vehicles used for veld fires. They unanimously agreed that they love their job and encourage the youth to become firefighters. Sometimes they get calls to catch wild animals and to deal with dangerous creatures. They also visit schools for educational purposes.

Although we did not receive a call-out while I was spending time with them, I realised what the career of a firefighter is all about – hard work, dedication and passion. Despite enduring difficult situations they believe that “the good makes up for the bad”.