Libreville, May 5, 2023 (AGP) – The day of May 4 has been chosen to pay tribute to firefighters. An opportunity for the global community to recognize and honor the sacrifices of firefighters. No demonstration in Gabon, on the occasion of this commemoration which is committed every day to the service of the populations and the surroundings.
Created in 1999, following the death of five firefighters in a fire in Australia on January 4 of the same year, the international community celebrates May 4 each year, International Firefighters Day.
This is an opportunity to pay a deserved tribute to these firefighters, who devote their time, even their lives, to the protection of people and property at the risk of their lives.
For their courage and dedication, firefighters are part of our daily lives. But we actually know very little about this profession which, in the eyes of many, embodies altruism in its noblest sense.
Present on all fronts, these “fire soldiers” respond to fires, which remain the core of their business, traffic accidents, floods, explosions and collapses, etc. They are also on the front line in confronting growing inequalities and heightened tensions within society. In particular, physical, psychological and social where they must call on technical skills, but also on human qualities to face it.
These humanist professionals are also exposed to dangers and face several difficulties during interventions. Namely: inaccessible access routes, anarchic constructions, defective work tools and aging personal protective equipment (PPE).
A situation that undermines the various interventions of firefighters in the field, often despised by some people, believing that they do not do the job well.
To be more efficient on the ground, the establishment of infrastructures by the State, in particular local barracks in certain municipalities for rapid intervention and to relieve the populations.
It granted intervention vehicles and ambulances. Also, these State agents were provided with fire extinguishing equipment to improve their work. The latter benefit from several training courses both internally and within the framework of bilateral military cooperation with its partners.
A few weeks ago, the State launched a recruitment competition for firefighters which attracted many Gabonese to this profession.
CBO/FSS
