Centurion’s April hero is a kind hearted firefighter
Mohamed is always among the first to respond and always ready to assist, he always puts everyone’s safety before his own.
Centurion’s hero in Rekord and Westpack’s competition for the month of April is Mohamed Docrat (20).
“I appreciate having been nominated as a hero and thank everyone who thought of me,” Docrat said.
The youngster is a volunteer firefighter and assists Laudium disaster management as a first responder whenever he can.
Laudium disaster management is a “non-profit volunteer unit that assists the community with anything from emergencies to humanitarian aid, wherever it is needed. This includes accidents, house or bush fires, and medical emergencies”.
He said he originally joined the organisation last year with the outbreak of the Covid pandemic, when they supplied meals to the less fortunate.
“As time passed, I got involved with firefighting as well. My father was also a paramedic and firefighter.”
Mohamed said he doesn’t panic when entering into a life-threatening situation.
“The main thing to do in a dangerous situation is to remain calm. A lot goes through my mind, I think about all the things I need to look out for. I anticipate what can happen such as that the structure can collapse and people can lose their lives. I keep the faith, keep calm, and move on.”
Mohamed’s mother, Faatima Docrat, said she is very proud of him.
“He comes a long way. He makes an effort every day, he enjoys what he is doing, and he makes us proud,” Faatima said.
“Mohamed is very sensitive and kind-hearted. He has a very good heart. Since he was a child, he had always wanted to help others,” Faatima said.
Ibraheem Docrat, head of Laudium disaster management, said one of the reasons the organisation started, was to get the youth involved in assisting the community “as a kind of giving back”.
“Mohamed was one of our youngest volunteers when he started, and we can always rely on him. He is always among the first to respond and always ready to assist. He always puts everyone’s safety before his own,” Ibraheem said.
“We are proud of him, and proud of everyone who assists at Laudium disaster management. Mohamed enrolled in a full time firefighting programme at the beginning of the year and will be our first volunteer to be fully qualified as a firefighter,” Ibraheem said.
Ibraheem said the family derived its inspiration from their grandfather’s passion and the work he did in the eighties and nineties at an organisation called Civil Defence.
“There used to be an organisation called Civil Defence, which also volunteered emergency services. That is where I received my training,” Ibraheem said.
“Laudium disaster management was established in 2016. Since then more members from the community got involved. We have approximately a hundred volunteers today. About 40 of them are active volunteers, and the others are ready to assist as needed,” Ibraheem said.
West Pack Lifestyle and Centurion Rekord want to honour those who stand out, who give without expecting anything in return and who put the needs of others before their own.
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