Businessmen by day, firemen 24/7. For those who serve in the Filipino-Chinese Fire Volunteers, this has been a way of life for the last 30 years as a volunteer fireman.
“We became a family that not only put out fires in Negros Oriental but also built up unity in the Filipino-Chinese community,” said Engr. Benjamin Locsin, their chief fire marshal.
The group was formed after a fire gutted the Dumaguete market in 1982. Noting that the local Fire Department could use more help, some 20 individuals formed a team to augment the local firefighting force.
“They needed help and we knew we could give them assistance,” Gilbert Uy, one of the pioneering members of the team, said. “As volunteers, we don’t get any compensation but it is not what you can get that matters, but what you can give,” he added.
Locsin said the volunteers know the risks associated with firefighting, such as the risk of lung cancer from smoke inhalation, but they still wish to serve the public without any benefit.
“They may give us awards and certificates, but the most meaningful award we have ever received are the ‘thank yous’ from the people we helped,” Locsin said.”
The team now has more than 30 members, all volunteers who share the same goal.
When not fighting fires, the firemen trade jokes, stories or food to keep them awake the entire evening. “More than being a fire volunteer, brotherhood and camaraderie are important for us; it is what makes us one,” Locsin said.
To become part of their team, the group requires commitment and the willingness to learn Chinese— the Amoy language at the least. “We don’t want to make our members feel out of place or to be offended, so we make sure we understand each other — especially with the language we use,” Locsin said.
There are seven recruits who are currently being trained. “We either invite them or they write to us signifying their interest,” Locsin said. They then go on a 10-12 Sunday workshop and training to ensure their readiness to face their first real fire without so much fear of making mistakes. “It’s better to commit mistakes during the practice, than during the actual fire,” Locsin said.
For volunteer Edward Sung, Moreover, being a fireman is a lifetime commitment. “It entails a 24/7 sacrifice,” Sung, another pioneer, said. Volunteers, he said, need the willingness to serve without expecting anything in return, and a heart that’s ready to commit to serve the public.
The volunteers get together at least once a week for fellowship or whenever duty calls. Every member responds by rushing to the site after the second alarm of major fires is sounded, with a fire proof suit and a committed heart. “A volunteer’s effort is stronger than a man’s paid duty,” Uy said.
For them being a fireman is something they would still become, even if they have to live their lives all over again. Their motto: “I’m a fire fighting, smoke eating, hose dragging, axe swinging, ladder climbing, and meal missing volunteer” sums it all up.
The team of volunteers is depending on donations from their fellow Filipino-Chinese friends and from individuals who have the heart to help them fulfill their duty to the public. They have received donations of 21 sets of breathing apparatus, fire coats, fire boots, and helmets.
The team is currently looking for community support to repair their fire truck as well as to buy new equipment. Donations may be coursed through Locsin, at telephone 0922-825-0991.
One message they’d like to leave to the public, in order for them to be safe from fire: “Don’t play with fire — literally and figuratively.” (Adrian Miraflor and Beverly Linao, SU Masscom Interns)
