BY SARAH HAFIZAH CHANDRA & CLEMENT ERIK WONG
UNLIKE superheroes in comic books or movies, ordinary people do not deliberately go about saving the day or the lives of others. This make it the more amazing when they actually perform heroic acts. It blows the mind to try to contemplate why and what makes these unwitting heroes go into action despite having no time to weigh the risks involved.
It is for this reason that the state Fire and Rescue Department director, Khirudin Drahman, believes that heroic acts deserve public deserve recognition and positive reinforcement.
This is where the Bomba Hero Award fits in. It is bestowed upon those who show bravery and courage in helping others in emergencies.
So far this year there have been 18 recipients of the award in the state compared to 25 last year.
Together with a certificate, a recipient also receives a fire extinguisher and fire safety brochure, all meant to be symbolic recognition rather than outright material or monetary rewards.
Help without expecting payment
Jamal Ahmad and Suzana Drahman, a pair of husband and wife received the Bomba Hero Award in recognition of their roles in helping a family whose car had gone off the road and into a water-logged ditch at Jalan Camar in Petra Jaya, Kuching.
Jamal recalled that several other people had already stopped to help the victims who were a mixture of adults and children.
Speaking from experience, Jamal, a 39-year-old tally clerk working at Kuching Port, said it was important to have a proper sense of humanity and selflessness in order to be of service to others.
“When we help people who are in need, especially in the event of an emergency, I believe it is important to be sincere and do help from the heart.
“It is not right to help with an expectation of getting something in return. I personally believe that a simple ‘thank you’ is more than sufficient,” he said.
His 39-yer-old wife who is a preschool assistant said it was her first-time helping in an emergency.
Having learned from that incident, she said that one should always pay attention to one’s surroundings so as to be prepared and not get overwhelmed when something untoward or unexpected happened.
“My husband has had a bit of experience as he had helped before during fire incidents in his village, Kampung Bintawa Tengah.
“Even though I had no experience or knowledge on first aid, I knew that the most important thing was to ensure that the victims were safe while waiting for firemen, police or medics to arrive,” she said.
Be a helper, not an observer
Another award recipient, Mohamad Khairul, 32, a food delivery rider, remembered that he was carrying his last order of the day when he reached the accident scene and was asked to assist.
He remembered that he was the first to jump into the monsoon ditch to help the victims get out of their car.
He is a good swimmer so he was not too concerned about the water in the ditch. He also had prior experience helping in other emergencies.
“After I jumped in, several other people followed suit and stopped the car from moving further and sinking deeper into the water.
“I immediately noticed the two children in the car, so I got them out first before helping the driver and an elderly lady.
“Firemen arrived soon after we got all four victims out safely. That was a huge relief,” he said.
When asked what he learned from the experience, Mohamad instead expressed a hope that people would always look out for one another and help whenever situation permits, and especially during an emergency.
“I urge everyone not to be an observer during an emergency. If you are an able-bodied person, just help. If you can’t or you won’t for whatever reason, the least you can do is refrain from taking pictures or videos of an emergency situation such as a fire or road accident,” he said.
No unnecessary talk; just jump into action
Abdullah Kassim, 67, reiterated that it is crucial to jump into action during an emergency. Helping should be instinctive.
“If you spend time thinking, even for a few seconds, it might be too late. I say, jump to it!” he said.
In saying this, he pointed out that all forms of help are crucial regardless of the nature of an emergency or incident.
Similar to Mohamad, the pensioner knows how to swim, thus he too jumped into the ditch to get the victims out of their vehicle.
“When I saw the car in the ditch, I immediately decided to help without giving much thought to the risks to my own safety.
“I knew that the most important thing to do was to get the victims out safely. If we had not worked hard and fast, the car would have gone under seven feet deep of water. Even now I shudder to think about the fate of the victims had nobody been there to help them,” he said.
He was thankful that the victims miraculously survived and did not sustain serious injuries.
“It was my second time in such an emergency. I say, in an emergency, bystanders and others who happen to be close by must do their best to help instead of waiting for someone else to take action,” he said.
