A firefighter demonstrating the flying fox at yesterday's Firefighters Skill and Endurance Competition at Bukit Shahbandar Recreational Park in Jerudong. Picture: BT/Anwar Rosly
Monday, March 28, 2011
ABOUT 80 firefighters from different branches and students yesterday competed in the Endurance and Skills Competition to test their physical and mental capabilities in different situations.
Senior Superintendent of Fire and Rescue Awang Hj Tengah, chairperson of the competition, said the competition was the first time held outside the usual Fire and Rescue Department Training Centre.
"We changed the site of the competition this time where the firefighters can be exposed to the outside environment such as here (natural forest), so the format is entirely different," he told The Brunei Times at Bukit Shahbandar Recreational Park in Jerudong.
"Our aim is to test our firefighters, their physical and mental strength to the maximum level possible. We want to see how they cope when they are placed in different situations and environment.
"But most of all, what we want to see is the spirit of teamwork and good communication," he added.
A total of 12 teams participated in the competition, eight from different Fire and Rescue branches and the Special Squad and the Volunteer firefighters and another eight teams comprising Fire and Rescue cadets from different schools.
Assistant Superintendent for Fire and Rescue Ajahrin Mail said around 50 teenage cadets participated in various events, with each school bringing two teams of four boys and four girls to compete.
Mohd Hilmey Hj Md Yassin, educational officer from the Co-Curriculum of Education Department, said the fire and rescue cadet uniform body was established in 2007 and the participating schools were invited by the Fire and Rescue Department.
"This is one of the activities that the fire and rescue cadets are joining this year and in the coming months there will be more activities for these youths to join in and we are encouraged because more and more students are joining now," he said, adding that there are 16 schools with their own fire and rescue uniform body.
Among the fire and rescue cadets who joined the competition yesterday were triplet brothers from Berakas Secondary School, Md Abdullah Sani, Md Amir Hamzah and Md Ali Hanifiah Roslan, all Year 12 students.
One of the brothers, Md Abdullah Sani, said they prefer to join the fire and rescue uniform body because it's a new club and they wanted to try something new.
"Our teacher encouraged us to join and we answered that call and found that it is filled with challenging activities, especially where we had the experience in tying ropes, climbing up the building using firefighting gear, working the waterhose and learning to spray water and also performing the CPR drills," said Md Amir Hamzah.
Md Ali Hanifiah added that it was a good thing to join the competition as they spent their school holidays productively.
The winner of the Firefighters Skill and Endurance Competition 2011 was the Fire and Rescue Department's Operation Branch 'F'.
Officiating at the competition was Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Home Affairs Dato Paduka Hj Abdul Majid Mangarshah. Also present were deputy permanent secretaries, Roslan Hj Taja'ah and Hj Ismail Hj Abd Manaf.
The competition was also one of the events to mark the 51st anniversary of the Fire and Rescue Department.The Brunei Times
