Rushing into the flames to serve the people.

Ho Chi Minh City - "Ready to accept sacrifice and loss to fulfill the mission of saving lives and property, and also embodying the spirit of the People's Police serving the people."

This is the sentiment shared by Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Chi Thanh , Deputy Team Leader of the Firefighting and Rescue Team, Firefighting and Rescue Police Department (PC07), Ho Chi Minh City Police, a courageous, dedicated, and committed soldier. Over the past 20 years, he can't remember how many life-threatening situations he's faced, only knowing that he wholeheartedly works with his comrades to fulfill his responsibilities as a soldier in peacetime.

Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Chi Thanh - Deputy Team Leader of the Firefighting and Rescue Team, Firefighting and Rescue Police Department (PC07), Ho Chi Minh City Police, has dedicated over 20 years to serving the people. Photo: Chan Phuc

Fighting the "fire enemy"

Originally from Thai Binh province, but born and raised in Cu Chi (Ho Chi Minh City), Thanh's family lived along the Saigon River from a young age. He witnessed many drowning accidents, with bodies often found mutilated after days of searching, especially the tragic loss of a relative. "Those images truly broke my heart," he recalled emotionally, adding that it was the motivation that drove him to pursue a career in rescue and relief.

In April 2002, Mr. Thanh was assigned to a firefighting mission in the U Minh Thuong National Forest in Kien Giang province – the first challenging assignment of his career. At that time, Mr. Thanh, along with 30 officers and soldiers, 20 pumps, and 3 fire trucks, set off for the mission. The rescue location was in a rugged forest terrain, while firefighting equipment could not be deployed, and fire trucks could not access the scene.

"We had to use manpower to dig a 4km water channel into the forest, placing a fire pump every 200m or so," he recalled.

After many days, Thanh and his teammates successfully completed their mission, protecting 700 hectares of primary forest and preventing the fire from spreading to 10,000 hectares of planted forest.

The image depicts a firefighter ready to accept sacrifice and loss in order to fulfill their mission of saving lives. (Photo: Provided by the subject)

My only wish is to live to serve the people.

With 23 years in the profession, Mr. Thanh confided that when faced with victims, he doesn't have time to think about himself; he only thinks about how to save them as quickly as possible, or at least bring the victims back to their families to alleviate the pain of those left behind.

Recalling his experience participating in the earthquake disaster relief operation in Turkey in early 2023 with the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security's task force, Mr. Thanh said it was a trip he would never forget. Upon arrival, the entire team had no time to rest before having to start searching in temperatures of -6 degrees Celsius, without electricity or water, and living in temporary tents.

Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Chi Thanh and his teammates set off for a neighboring country to assist in search and rescue operations. Photo: Provided by the subject.

Thanh's team was assigned to a location where many other countries had previously searched but found no signs of life. "We dug from early morning until night, cutting through metal, using thermal scanners, and relying on our senses to detect victims, and then a miracle happened," he recounted emotionally.

The entire team reached and rescued the 17-year-old boy from the rubble, much to the relief of his family, local authorities, and international rescue forces. He then continued the search and recovered 14 more bodies.

Lieutenant Colonel Thanh stated that at that time, the Turkish government and people, as well as international friends, highly appreciated the sense of responsibility, capabilities, modern equipment, and professionalism of the Vietnamese delegation.

Lieutenant Colonel Thanh during his participation in earthquake relief efforts in Türkiye. Photo: Provided by the subject.

"People were running out, and we had to run in, even though we knew it was dangerous, but we couldn't help it," he said, his eyes welling up with tears, and he told himself that he must always keep himself safe so that he could continue to dedicate himself to his profession for the rest of his life.

Source: https://laodong.vn/xa-hoi/lao-vao-bien-lua-de-phuc-vu-nhan-dan-1381708.ldo