KOCHI: Responding to emergency calls and facing challenges are nothing new for the fire and rescue officers. Still, the 24x7 service in the testing times of Covid-19 has pushed them to don new roles. Starting from the distribution of emergency medicines to disinfecting public places, the firemen are exploring new areas of service in the times of the pandemic.
“It’s something completely new to us. The delivery of medicines to a bone marrow cancer patient in Malappuram is an unforgettable case. Medicines came from Germany via Bengaluru by flight. It was at the beginning of the lockdown. Our officers from Gandhinagar station in Kochi swung into action and distributed it in less than three hours,” said A S Joji, district fire officer, Ernakulam.
Likewise, a Peermade-native was also helped by the district officers recently. “We used to pass on the medicines to the nearby station under the state-level system which will be continued till the end. Besides, we travel all the way to their location to deliver the medicines in emergency cases,” he said.
Interestingly, all fire officers have not gone to their homes since the commencement of lockdown. They are working in multiple shifts in coordination with civil defence force volunteers in various activities.
“After health department officials, it is fire officers who are putting their lives at risk in the battle against Covid-19. We disinfected the isolation wards of Ernakulam medical college and homes of Covid-19 positive patients. Our officers voluntarily disinfected the home of Yakub Sait who died after getting infected by the virus. Though we are wearing PPE, the possibility of danger is still there. We are working with the belief that nothing undesirable would happen,” said Joji.
Similarly, many officers are delivering medicines by spending money from their own pockets. “On many occasions, the patients will not be in a position to afford emergency medicines. Our officers have chipped in from their salary to deliver the medicines on many occasions. Similarly, we are delivering the food from the community kitchen at the doorsteps of those who are unable to visit those centres,” said Sivakumar V, an officer at the Gandhinagar station.