Fires, traffic accidents, stuck elevators... wherever people are in trouble, there are Firefighters and Rescuers ready to rush to the front lines.
At 11:30 p.m. on September 12, 2023, the alarm siren at the Fire Prevention, Fighting and Rescue Police Team (PCCC&CNCH) of Thanh Xuan District Police ( Hanoi ) rang.
90 seconds for the officers and soldiers of the mobile team to rush to the car and leave the unit. At 11:35 p.m., the fire truck arrived at the scene of the fire at the mini apartment building at 29/70 Khuong Ha.
For Nguyen Quoc Trung and Nguyen Huu Nam, this mission left unforgettable memories.
Quoc Trung said: “From afar, we saw a thick column of black smoke in the sky. When we arrived, what caught our eyes was a alley several hundred meters deep. Immediately, the team deployed to pull the water hose in. When we realized there were people trapped inside, the team members’ morale was even higher, only hoping to save people as soon as possible.”
However, the scene before their eyes confused the young soldiers: A fire was raging in a high-rise building, surrounded by glass on three sides. The fire originated from the basement connecting to the first floor, along with hundreds of vehicles of all kinds. The whole house was like a furnace. The only question in their minds was: "What is the fastest way to put out the fire?"
Quoc Trung recalled the chaotic scene at that time: On the upper floors, there were cries for help, below, people were restless but could only stop them: "Stop jumping", because of the danger of falling from high floors. "Many people wanted to rush in to save their loved ones inside, forcing us to stop them. Everyone wanted to go in to save people, but before determining the terrain and safety plan, no one was allowed to risk their lives", Quoc Trung shared.
The young soldier's eyes suddenly blurred: "The most painful thing was hearing the sound of flesh and bones of those trapped, unable to bear the smoke and fire, risking their lives to jump from high above. The first person to jump was a woman, her body was almost paralyzed after landing. She tried to open her remaining eye to look at us. After 3 seconds of being almost motionless due to the unexpected incident, I was able to stabilize my mind and, with my teammates, move her away from the fire. At the same time, I asked people to call their relatives above to advise them not to do similar negative actions."
As soon as one person was moved away, two more people jumped down. Immediately after, a child of about 4-5 years old also tried to escape in the same way. "Seeing the little body hit the ground with blood stains, I was extremely haunted," Quoc Trung could not hold back his tears.
Nguyen Huu Nam will never forget that difficult night of firefighting. Initially, the fire brigade deployed water hoses to reach the scene. However, since it was a garage, there was a lot of gasoline and electricity, so the team quickly switched to spraying foam. After a while, the fire subsided and the fire brigade went deeper inside.
Suddenly, there was an obstacle on the stairs, forcing the team to retreat. At the same time, the fire flared up again. The 4th floor also caught fire and burned heavily. Immediately after, reinforcements arrived and deployed foam spraying on the two floors, combined with cooling sprays at the back of the house, rescuing people trapped on the upper floors.
“The fire was too big, the heat-insulating protective gear was not enough, we could only spray water on ourselves to cool down and climb in from behind. Our hands and feet were burning from the walls and equipment. The heat was still blowing in, blurring the protective glasses. The atmosphere was quite chaotic and dangerous, but at that time we had no mind to be afraid, only thinking about how to save as many people as possible. Even though we were tired, we encouraged ourselves to try harder, try harder to save more people, more people,” Huu Nam shared.
Just like that, the firefighters took turns rushing into the fire. After putting out the fire, Quoc Trung choked on the gas and had to be hospitalized. He still has a persistent cough at night. He shared: “Any firefighter in that situation would have acted like me. Everyone jumped in, but I was injured and had to go first. I feel sorry that I couldn’t stay to save more people.”
After finishing the mission and returning to the team, everyone was exhausted. But the physical wounds would heal, only the psychological trauma would haunt the soldiers' minds for a long time. Every scream, every look for help, and even the lifeless bodies that they pulled out with their own hands became unforgettable hauntings.
After each fire incident, the strength that helps firefighters overcome the fear of death and danger is the lives they have saved. “When victims are brought out of the scene still breathing, their eyes are still open and they can hear us, that is the ultimate happiness,” Quoc Trung confided. “For each person saved, we feel lucky to have arrived just in time. That is the motivation for us to continue rushing into the fire, searching and saving more people,” Huu Nam shared.
Firefighters are still loved and called “heroes” by the people. They always have a spirit of being ready to fight, bravely not caring about sacrifice or loss. For them, in peacetime, fierce battles still take place. Every time the alarm bell rings, the soldiers have to face danger, race against time, fight for the lives of the people and their own lives, and those of their teammates.
Not only fire fighting, but also other supporting tasks such as: Elevator jam, pond fall, traffic accident... incidents that no one praises, no one knows about, are also the responsibility of the fire prevention and rescue officers and soldiers. Whenever people are in danger, the fire prevention and rescue officers and soldiers will rush to the front line. Their perseverance and perseverance in silence have made them true heroes.
Hanoi, in early October 2023, at the foot of the Monument "People's Police Serving the People", people quietly arranged fresh flower bouquets to express their gratitude to the 3 Hanoi Fire Prevention and Rescue Police officers who died while on duty. Everyone choked up remembering the fierce fire at a karaoke bar in Cau Giay District on August 1, 2022. At the scene of the fire, Lieutenant Colonel Dang Anh Quan, Senior Lieutenant Do Duc Viet and Corporal Nguyen Dinh Phuc, officers and soldiers of the Fire Prevention and Rescue Police Team - Cau Giay District Police (Hanoi City Police), did not fear the danger, guiding 8 people to escape the scene of fire and smoke. When returning to the scene to continue searching for trapped people, the materials of the house collapsed onto the stairs, killing all 3 officers and soldiers. A few hours earlier, they had successfully rescued 2 other people from a nearby fire.
They heroically sacrificed, leaving behind regret and admiration in the hearts of the people of the whole country. Along with Lieutenant Colonel Dang Anh Quan, Senior Lieutenant Do Duc Viet and Corporal Nguyen Dinh Phuc, the brave and selfless examples of many firefighters and rescuers are forever remembered by the people. They are Captain Pham Phi Long ( Ho Chi Minh City Police) who sacrificed in a house fire in Binh Tan District on September 7, 2017; Lieutenant Bui Minh Quy (Gia Lai Province Police) who was swept away by floodwaters while on duty to rescue people trapped in An Khe Town on March 3, 2018... and many other martyrs who fell for the peace of the people. Standing on the line between life and death, firefighters never have any other choice but to follow orders from their hearts and courage. Each fallen soldier is a loss for the entire force. Therefore, the confidences of Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Tien Dung - Deputy Captain of the Fire Prevention and Rescue Police Team - Thanh Xuan District Police become even more poignant: "We try our best to protect the people, and protect each other, reminding each other to go and come back together, not allowing anyone to be absent".
Being heroes to many people, but when returning to normal life, firefighters are just ordinary young men with their own worries. Some people choose to keep it a secret when they go on duty because they don’t want their families to worry; others don’t dare think about finding their other half because they understand that being the firefighter’s back-up requires a lot more courage.
Quoc Trung shyly shared: “The nature of my job is that I am constantly on duty, often have sudden tasks, and danger is always lurking, so I rarely think about my own happiness. Sometimes I want to spend time caring for my other half, but conditions do not allow it.”
This very ordinary moment of confusion of the firefighter made us even more emotional. The hero in the firestorm had rushed into the life of others, forgetting himself and his personal happiness. It seemed that for them, there was another kind of happiness. The happiness of those who had the mission of keeping peace in every home.
Article, photos, clips: Le Phu - Phuong Mai
10/04/2023 05:49
Baotintuc.vn
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