Saving lives on and off hours
Nurse extends service to community as voluntary firefighter
GEORGE TOWN: A nurse is among the few women debunking the myth that firefighting is mainly a man’s job.
Despite knowing the risk and danger, Ooi Zhi Yun, 25, joined the Mount Erskine voluntary firefighting squad during the movement control order (MCO) period early this year.
“One of my friends who is a team member invited me to join the squad in April.
“I feel this work is also about saving people’s lives and is quite interesting. So, I decided to give it a try,” she said at the Mount Erskine volunteer fire station recently.
Ooi, who has been a nurse with the Penang Adventist Hospital for four years, said she never joined any uniformed body during her school days and the idea of becoming a firefighter actually gave her goosebumps.
“As I have no formal training before joining the team, I got useful tips on fire safety from the squad members.
“I was even trained on how to tame snakes and other wild animals.
“It was scary at first having to hold the slithery reptile but now, it is all part and parcel of the job,” she added.
Ooi said that during her days off, she would be at the station for about three hours.
“I have been involved in a few rescue operations since April.
“My first aid training at the nursing school comes in quite handy during emergencies to treat injured fire victims or my fellow team members.
“I know the job of a firefighter can be dangerous, especially for a woman, but we should not be afraid.
“We just have to follow the instructions and remember what we were taught during the training.
“Actually, this voluntary work can help boost our self confidence and make us a better person,” said Ooi, urging the public to assist the unit by donating money to sustain its daily operations.
Mount Erskine voluntary squad chairman Goh Chin Wah said when he took Ooi under his wings, he was quite sceptical of her potential.
“I used to ask myself if she was capable of doing the job. I’m happy that I made the right choice by giving her the chance,” he added.
Goh said the team, which has been operational since 2014, has about 70 firefighters, including seven female members.