(Dan Tri) - When facing dangerous missions, firefighters always think about how to ensure the safety of people's lives and property, even though they are covered in injuries and facing death.
In the cold of minus 7 degrees Celsius in Türkiye, Major Nguyen Huu Dao (43 years old) thought he was "half alive, half dead" when sleeping in a temporary tent set up after the earthquake disaster in this country.
Major Dao is one of five soldiers sent by the Fire Prevention and Fighting and Rescue Police Department (PCCC & CNCH) of Ho Chi Minh City Police (PC07) to Türkiye to carry out an international mission to search for victims and rescue victims after the earthquake.
The time to receive the news and prepare to leave was only 1 hour, so the young soldier only had time to say goodbye to his family over the phone, while on the way to the airport.
Before they could recover from the harsh weather, the team had been traveling for 10 hours in heavy snow and slippery roads. "I've never been to a place so cold in my life," he said.
At 3:30 a.m. on February 11 (Turkish time), the working group arrived in Adiyaman City. Dao quickly ate a sandwich, then joined his teammates at the collapsed 3-story building.
Determining that 10 people were buried in this building, the team quickly used specialized equipment brought from Vietnam and the support of foreign mechanical vehicles such as excavators and diggers to search for victims.
During 11 hours of non-stop work, the team gradually approached the victims. "We shouted hello, how are you? and luckily we heard the victims' responses," Major Dao recalled.
Digging with machines, sometimes using their hands, Dao and his teammates went deeper inside as the rubble was about to fall on them. Finally, the soldiers burst into tears when they grabbed the hand of the 14-year-old boy, successfully rescuing him from the rubble.
"Many times after finishing a mission and saving someone, I sit down to rest and wonder why I was so brave to do that job," Major Dao mused.
On the flight back to his homeland after 10 days of work, Mr. Dao glanced out the window. At that moment, the soldier felt the bitterness in his throat. Because he was moved by witnessing that tragic scene, moved by the fact that he had survived and returned home.
The profession has no fixed return date.
Major Nguyen Huu Dao (43 years old) has worked for more than 20 years at the Fire Prevention and Rescue Team of Region 1, PC07.
Mr. Dao said that this was a dangerous job. The number of times he almost lost his life was countless, but the Major only considered it a funny story to tell.
Talking about the near-death experiences, the firefighter suddenly burst out laughing because he felt he was still a little lucky. Typically, during a firefighting mission at Pouyuen Company Limited (HCMC), if he and his teammates had been just a few seconds slower, the wall would have collapsed and crushed them.
"As a firefighter, the dangerous nature of the job is something that must be accepted. This job cannot be predicted, promised or set a return date. Once on duty, one does not care about one's own life but determines how to save people and prevent the fire from spreading," he said.
Mr. Dao has two small children. Every time he leaves the house, he always says goodbye to his wife and two children with simple sentences. Sometimes he has to wake up in the middle of the night or cannot answer the phone while on duty, his wife and children are very worried but very understanding of a husband and father like him.
Coming from Thanh Hoa to Ho Chi Minh City to start a business, 30 years ago, Mr. Dao only thought he would find a job to make ends meet. But after working as a construction worker, he applied for military service in 2003 and officially became a firefighter after 3 years of training.
"I didn't dare tell my family because everyone was worried and advised me. I just brushed it off, because I found this job so meaningful and people still needed me," Dao confided.
Talking about the first time he received a mission in his career, Nguyen Huu Dao remembers that he was haunted by the sound of a desperate cry for help.
"The fire engulfed the boarding house, cries for help were everywhere, people were running in and out continuously, I was scared and dizzy. But after seeing my teammates rushing into the fire, I immediately regained my composure and quickly carried out the task as trained. At that time, all I wanted to do was save as many people as possible, no longer worrying about my own life," Mr. Dao recalled.
As the people's cries for help grew louder, he and his teammates realized they had to stay calm to support them. On their first mission, Dao remembers breathing a sigh of relief because luckily there were no casualties.
During his missions, he was deeply moved when people brought him bread, mineral water, or even some cooked noodles to treat the whole team. Taking a sip of the cool water from the people, Mr. Dao compared it to "elixir of life" because after drinking it, he felt completely healthy.
"At moments like these, I appreciate and understand more clearly how great the meaning of my job is. People recognize that, so there is no reason for me to falter. I tell myself I must try harder to serve the people," the firefighter confided.
90 "golden" seconds and the worries of the fire "extinguishers"
Slamming his foot on the bathroom door while a fire was engulfing a level 4 house in Ho Chi Minh City not long ago, Major Nguyen Huu Dao was stunned to discover four dead bodies hugging each other. "The most heartbreaking thing was that three adults were trying to protect a child," the Major choked up;
For three days after that mission, Mr. Dao was restless. Because in that room filled with smoke, the window leading to the next house was only a dozen steps away from the bathroom. Yet, the victim was not calm enough to escape.
That was just one of the firefighting and rescue missions that the Major regretted the most. Because he always blamed himself for not being able to save innocent people.
"Soldiers like us are always concerned about how to propagate to people to know, understand and firmly grasp knowledge about fire prevention, fire fighting, and escape in case of fire. Whether the fire is big or small, people play a very important role in the initial handling," said Mr. Dao.
Lieutenant Colonel Pham Minh Trang, Deputy Head of the Fire Prevention and Rescue Team (PC07) shared that a day of a firefighter will revolve around high-intensity training sessions. Through that, they will be equipped with skills and a fearless spirit.
Whenever a fire is reported, a soldier must leave the unit within 90 "golden" seconds. On the way, the soldiers will determine the flammable material, the burning facility, whether the fire is spreading or whether people are trapped, and deploy immediately in the vehicle.
Lieutenant Colonel Pham Minh Trang still choked up when mentioning the fire at the ITC (International Trade Center) building 15 years ago that killed 60 people and injured 200 others.
Smoke and fire filled the entire building, engulfed in flames. Innocent people panicking and jumping from high floors were memories that Mr. Trang could never forget.
In addition, Mr. Trang said that he was also haunted by a fire 15 years ago, about a mother who, because she was too helpless to deal with her drug-addicted son, tied him up with chains and set herself on fire.
"The time I participated in firefighting when I was still very young was when I had the most concerns. At that time, I was very scared, but the fear here was witnessing so many people dying without having a way to stop it. I just hope that people are equipped with enough knowledge of fire prevention and fighting when a fire breaks out," the Lieutenant Colonel confided.
In addition to concerns about their jobs, firefighters say that although the work is hard, it also takes a toll on their health. In the end, they are still willing to continue their career as long as their "eyes are still bright and their hands are not shaking."
However, sometimes the whole unit jokes and laughs: "As Uncle Ho said, we must be unemployed so that the people can be well-off."
Photo: Character provided; Hoang Huong; Reuters
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