{"id":3739,"date":"2020-08-20T17:44:04","date_gmt":"2020-08-20T09:44:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thesmartlocal.com\/vietnam\/?p=3739"},"modified":"2020-09-14T23:01:38","modified_gmt":"2020-09-14T15:01:38","slug":"saigon-man-fire-safety","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesmartlocal.com\/vietnam\/saigon-man-fire-safety\/","title":{"rendered":"Saigon Man Buys Fire Trucks With His Own Money To Help Keep Local Residents Safe"},"content":{"rendered":"

Saigon patrol officer self-funds fire-fighting equipment for his area’s fire safety<\/span><\/h2>\n
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As more and more apartment buildings and townhouses spring up across Vietnam\u2019s cities, house fires are also on the rise.<\/strong><\/p>\n

House fires have become a main cause of unintentional injuries and deaths in Vietnam as our country sees an average of 2,230 house fires per year. From 2012 to 2016, 957 people were injured and 360 killed in house fires, according to Canh Sat Nhan Dan\u2019s statistics<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In a bid to reinforce fire safety<\/strong> in his neighborhood, a patrol officer<\/strong> in District 1 Nguyen Thai Binh Ward has bought fire trucks with his own money.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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He\u2019s been helping out in many fire accidents <\/span><\/h3>\n
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\nImage credit: <\/em>Plo.vn<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Mr Ly Nhon Thanh<\/a>, a 55-year-old patrol officer <\/strong>responsible for public safety in Nguyen Thai Binh Ward, District 1<\/a>, also happens to have a strong dedication towards fire safety.<\/strong><\/p>\n

As a patrol officer, his main job is to patrol the area to spot illegal activities, handle complaints from residents, <\/strong>maintain public safety, and inform<\/strong> everyone of updated government regulations.\u00a0Even though he\u2019s not professionally trained in fire fighting or even expected to fight fires as part of his job, he\u2019s been helping out in many fire accidents in the area.<\/p>\n

Due to Saigon\u2019s complex terrains and dense traffic, it usually takes fire trucks a long time to arrive at fire scenes. Many Saigon\u2019s houses are nestled deep inside narrow lanes without any room for fire trucks to go through, <\/strong>which greatly obstructs the rescue process.<\/p>\n

Haunted by the memory of Saigon\u2019s ITC building fire in 2002 <\/a>when he joined the rescue efforts and saw many deaths, Thanh was motivated to strengthen the fire emergency preparedness <\/strong>in the area he\u2019s in charge of as a patrol officer.<\/p>\n

Despite having a modest salary<\/strong>, he has personally paid for 3 fire fighting trucks <\/strong>equipped with standard rescue tools, such as portable pumps, ladders, hose reels, and safety buoys. He even went as far as to mortgage his house<\/strong> to borrow nearly VND2 billion<\/strong> (~USD86,300)<\/strong> to buy fire-fighting equipment. Since his first purchase of fire-fighting equipment, he has joined over 100 fire rescue efforts<\/strong> in his area.<\/p>\n

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\nImage adapted from: <\/em>Doi Song Phap Luat<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

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He encourages young offenders to help others<\/span><\/h3>\n
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Not only is Mr Thanh eager to help local residents in fire rescue attempts, but he is also loved by many for his caring personality<\/strong> and fierce devotion to his job.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\nNguyen Thai Binh Street in District 1<\/em>
\n<\/strong>Image adapted from: <\/em>Voice of Ho Chi Minh City<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

He also encourages young offenders in the area<\/strong> to join the street security task force. To help these ex-offenders contribute to the local community, he teaches them essential skills such as first aid <\/strong>and firefighting skills<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s very passionate<\/strong> about his job. When any commuters have accidents under his watch, he will rush to give them first aid and bring them to hospital. He even pays for the medical bills <\/strong>of those who don\u2019t have money.<\/p>\n

“There was one time he spotted someone attempting suicide<\/strong> on a bridge. Thanh and his task force immediately ran to the person\u2019s rescue. They always volunteer to moderate traffic <\/strong>during rush hours despite rainy weather.\u201d said Mr Nguyen Van Chien<\/strong>, a resident on Nguyen Thai Binh Street, as reported by Plo.vn<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Saigon man helps promote local fire safety<\/span><\/h3>\n
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House fires can be sudden and spread fast, causing property damage and threatening families\u2019 lives. Prevention<\/strong> is the best solution for fire safety, because firefighters cannot always arrive at the scene on time.<\/p>\n

Mr Thanh has gone beyond the call of duty to make sure that he has everything he needs to timely respond to fire breakouts, thus offering extra peace of mind and security<\/strong> to the residents of the street he is in charge of.<\/p>\n

Not only has Mr Thanh set a great example of community-mindedness<\/a>, but he also reminds us to be more open-minded <\/strong>about giving ex-offenders second chances to better serve our communities.<\/p>\n

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