For fasting firefighters, it's work as usual

SUNGAI PETANI: Not having time for sahur (pre-dawn meal) or having to delay breaking of fast is normal for staff of the Fire and Rescue Department Malaysia (JBPM), because they work at odd hours of the day or night.

Despite that, it never dampens their spirit to give their best like other normal days.

Firefighter Noorjohaimi Johari, 36, from Tikam Batu Fire and Rescue Station (BBP) said he once had to break fast with only mineral water during a rescue operation at a factory in Kuala Lumpur a few years ago.

According to him, he and his colleagues had just returned from a fire rescue operation at another plant, which took about four hours to put under control, when they received the emergency call.

“It was almost time to break fast then. We immediately rushed to the scene without bringing any food along.

“When it was time to break fast, we only drank mineral water, and then continued with the rescue operation," he said when met at BBP Tikam Batu.

For firefighter Wan Ahmad Wan Sulaiman, also from BBP Tikam Batu, an incident that he could not forget happened one morning several years ago, when he was involved in a rescue operation involving a house fire.

“The incident happened two days before Muslims celebrated Aidilfitri. It was heart-breaking to see all the festive preparations made by the family perished in the fire.

“We had given our best and even had forgotten to take our sahur, but still could not salvage most of the family belongings,” he added.

Meanwhile, fire officer Abdul Rahim Abdul Hamid from Tikam Batu BBP, Fire Officer PB shared his experience of having to break fast after 9pm, following a rescue operation during a fatal accident involving an overturned trailer about four years ago.

“We received the call at about 7pm, and the team had to rush out without taking any food or drink.

“We had to wait until the rescue operation was completed, before we could break fast back in the office,” he added.