Malaysian Volunteer Fire And Rescue
Association founder and chairman Capt. K. Balasupramaniam finds joy in helping others and saving lives.
GERALD CHUAH writes.
NOT
many of us have first-hand experience of an inferno or
understand the risks and dangers faced by firemen. But after
the 9/11 tragedy in New York, firemen are honoured as heroes
who put their lives on the line to save others.
Ladder
49, which opens on Oct 14, starring John Travolta and Joaquin
Phoenix sheds new light on the life of firemen — their
relationships, commitments and sacrifices.
It
chronicles Baltimore firefighter Jack Morrison (Phoenix) who
is trapped in the worst blaze of his career, where his life
and things he holds important — family, dignity, courage —
come into focus, as his fellow firemen of Ladder 49, led by
mentor and chief Mike Kennedys (Travolta), do all they can to
rescue him.
In conjunction with the opening of the
movie there will be a charity premiere on Oct 13 at 9pm at TGV
Sunway Pyramid, Petaling Jaya, to raise funds for the
Malaysian Volunteer Fire And Rescue Association — a voluntary
organisation which has contributed much in raising public
awareness on fire safety and rescue.
Tickets are at
RM23 each, with RM13 going to the Fire Kids Club Safety
Workshop Programme Fund.
Paper firemen hats will be
distributed to 1,000 children. About 100 children will also
enjoy a fire truck ride at 7pm around the mall. Chief advisor
Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye will officiate the event at 8pm. There
will also be an exhibition and Q&A session with exclusive
T-shirts and posters to be won. MVFRA founder and chairman
Capt. K. Balasupramaniam hopes to raise RM13,000 for the
organisation. "I also hope the film will impart a valuable
insight into the life and sacrifices of a fireman."
Established in 1989, MVFRA started with three people, and
currently has more than 800 volunteers of all ages and from
different walks of life.
Among the major disasters it
has covered are the Sungai Buloh Bright Sparkles fire and the
Highland Towers tragedy and the Choon Hoong ship explosion at
Port Klang. Balasupramaniam, who has been overseas on rescue
missions, said: "A fireman's job is all encompassing. His role
is more than fighting fire and includes providing relief in
times of disaster." His office in Damai Perdana, Cheras, is
equipped with a fire-engine, a van, a speedboat, and even a
search dog. It handles everything from fire to floods, drought
and accidents.
However, Bala said, sometimes a
fireman's job is not well understood and may be taken for
granted. "Saving lives is not an easy task but what makes an
ordinary person put up with it? "Firemen have families but why
do they go into a building when everybody is running out?" He
said a fireman's life is far from heroic or glamorous as often
depicted in the movies. "There is nothing to feel good,
dressed in heavy uniform, and being soaked with water and
wearing a huge helmet!" It is the joy of helping others and
saving lives, and not the thrill of fighting fire that drives
him to do the job. "Imagine the excitement you will feel when
you save someone's life," he added. "Although not everybody
can be a fireman, they can be a volunteer. Contributing their
time and getting knowledge is a valuable exchange."
Balasupramaniam, who has trained many volunteers, said he has
met people with different mindsets. "Some ask what they can
get in return — pocket money or a free T-shirt? "But I give
them nothing except the opportunity to help others, which
brings more joy than money can buy. "Doing something out of
the ordinary is a reward in itself," he added.
Besides
being on standby as a secondary backup to the Fire and Rescue
Department and providing assistance to disaster victims, MVFRA
also conducts talks, training, interactive programmes and
workshops for adults and children. Balasupramaniam, who is a
lecturer on emergency occupational safety and health, said
fire-fighting is a losing battle whether during, or in the
aftermath of the event. There is a great sense of loss and
grief. "Prevention is painless and cheaper.
"Our
objective is to educate the public on fire safety and
preventive measures — teach fire safety and the do's and
don'ts in the event of a fire.
"We also conduct
training for companies and are looking for corporate sponsors
for our programme," he added.
Among the successful
workshops MVFRA has conducted are The Fire Kids Club Safety
Workshop, Road Rescue Riders Learn To Save Lives In Road
Accident, Fire Hydrant Adoption and Home Safe Home programmes
and Nature Ranger Camps.
The Fire Kids Club Safety
Workshops are usually held in sponsored areas such as shopping
centres. At the workshop the children are taught survival
skills such as Stop, Drop and Roll, Smoke Survival, Fireman
Drag, How to Make Emergency Phone Call and Crowd
Balls.
Balasupramaniam said MVFRA plans to conduct four
workshops in Perlis, Taiping, Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya
next year. In 1994, he was involved in a motorcycle accident
and was taken for dead when someone covered him with
newspaper. Luckily a Harian Metro photographer lifted the
newspaper to have a closer shot, and got the shock of his life
when he found him still alive and mumbling to be taken to the
hospital. Nowadays if Balasupramaniam sees an accident victim
by the roadside covered with newspaper, he will double-check
to see if the person is still alive. Recently he conducted
several mock accidents to survey the public's response and
found that 90 per cent of the crowds were bystanders. He
always carries an emergency bag in his truck equipped with all
kinds of tools from a mini hammer to break glass, air bag to
open doors, ropes and even a tube of KY Jelly to free someone
who is trapped.
It makes his day if he receives a thank
you call from someone whose life he has saved.
"Many
volunteers have shared with me their excitement in making a
difference in someone's life." Recently he saved a dog from
drowning in a monsoon drain in Sungei Besi. The incident which
was reported in The Malay Mail attracted some 200 calls from
the public thanking him. For more information, checkout
MVFRA's website at www.mvfra.org or call at 03-9200-1994. For
movie tickets, call 016-2223-853, and
012-2885-067.
