"It teaches you discipline and you are always wide awake"

Damien Makgone has been in the fire-fighting trade for 14 years and is one of the most experienced men doing this life-saving job around the country. He did a lot of intensive training throughout his career and is still passionate about it. He recently told Namibian Sun what this job is all about.

What does a fire-fighter do?

Fire-fighters are mainly responsible for distinguishing fires at especially business buildings, residential houses and at informal dwellings, including bush fires. We are also responsible for special services such as removing animals from areas that are inhibited by people; we perform emergency medical services mainly through first aid, while we also do things such as unlocking houses or offices that cannot be opened when keys are lost. Other than that we can also serve as ambulance drivers in cases of emergency.

Briefly describe your normal day at work

The first thing is to stand parade for inspection by the chief for aspects such as cleanliness and he also check if your beard is shaven and so on. From there I do inspections on trucks that must be available for the job during any emergency. We do physical training in the afternoon, but besides that, we are continuously on standby for any eventuality.

What personality skills do you need for this job?

A fire-fighter must generally be a disciplined person who performs his duties according specific procedures, mainly due to safety reasons. You must also take initiative in extreme cases, but you must also be knowledgeable about what you do. You must be physically in good shape because you deal with heavy objects and sometimes there are human lives involved. You must also be alert and cautious at all times.

What are the major challenges in your job?

In this job each day is a challenge because you never know what will happen. That is why it is important to always be prepared and on standby. The challenges vary because you have tough assignments like extinguishing big fires and sometimes there are minor challenges when performing special services.

What tools or equipment do you use on a daily basis?

The pumper (fire truck), hose pipe, branches, fire tunic - which includes a helmet, safety gloves and the balaclava as well as safety boots. For the rescue operations we also use the Jaws of Life and the cutter for major accidents, especially when people are trapped.

How does one get involved in this type of job?

You are expected to do a recruitment course for a month at the Fire Brigade Training Centre. After that you do various other courses which include basic life support for the ambulance services for another month. You are also required to do courses in Fire- Fighter 1 and 2 which look at many issues ranging from how to use hosepipes and how to handle emergency situations. You also do what is called a Hazmat course which focuses on how to handle dangerous chemicals.

Do you think it is rewarding enough?

This is an extremely rewarding job because you are involved in saving people’s lives. It is the greatest reward for any fire-fighter to rescue and save people exposed to danger or who find themselves on the brink of death. There is nothing better.

Would you recommend this job to anyone?

It should be a job for any human being. If you are into providing a service to people with pride, than this is the right kind of job. It teaches you discipline and you are consistently wide awake as anything can happen, but the most important thing is that you are responsible for saving lives and you must do it efficiently and as professionally as you can

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