Tairo comments

Posted in: Want to be a firefighter? See in context

As a foreigner I fought for ten years to join the Tokyo Metropolitan Volunteer Fire Corps with my wife advocating on my behalf. I was finally given the opportunity to interview and eventually joined two years ago.

We don’t get paid. But meals and drinks are provided and we get equipment. I have never been bullied. It’s been just the opposite. Most of the skills required are learned on the job. My fellow firefighters have been kind and patient, giving me tips and supporting me when I’ve struggled to master the necessary skills.

Volunteer firefighters respond to 119 calls whenever we are able, whether it’s the middle of the night or the middle of the day. We go to schools to teach fire safety, work with the local community to support events, respond to fires and other emergencies. During typhoon Faxai we worked day and night. First to identify potential hazards and then to do foot patrol and respond to emergencies and clear drains to prevent flooding during the worst of the typhoon. We were up until 7:00AM and I had to go to my main job at 8:00AM.

The cool thing is that there is a whole community of firefighters. There’s the elite Rapid Rescue, the firefighters, the volunteer firefighters, the women’s Corp that specializes in first aid, irregular community volunteers, retired firefighters and even a kids troupe that trains in fire safety and first aid. In the event of a national disaster, the system that the Japanese have put in place will truly shine.

7 ( +7 / -0 )

Recent Comments

Popular

Articles, Offers & Useful Resources

A mix of what's trending on our other sites


©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.