SALUTING CHIEF FIRE OFFICER MAKES NO SENSE

Editor,

The fire and emergency is a department that saves life and property.

It is a department classified under the essential service.
This department is governed by the government general orders which means the staff under this department is not different from nurses.
I for one cannot understand when the chief fire officer says the firefighters are expected to salute like police officers, soldiers or warders.
Is it because they wear uniforms? Nurses they also wear uniform but they do not salute.

Chief fire officer sir, can you just tell me, what is important about this saluting in your department? Can you save life by saluting? Sir, please can you be serious and come to your senses.
Your justification does not hold water, instead you have proved to be a failure in your position or maybe you no more care because your time is up.
I understand the fire department is the first department in the country to have divers and paramedics which the department should be proud of.

Therefore this department should be concentrating in its scope of work and train more if not all firefighters in those specialised fields instead of being copy cats.
Last year a disaster happened around Mankayane area where lives of our fellow Swazis were lost (may their souls rest in peace) however, only one fire engine from Lobamba fire department attended that incident. I was hoping to see divers from the fire departments in a joint operation with the police but that never happened. I am glad these days I see ambulances written ‘Fire Department’ which means paramedics from this department have been given back their jobs.

Sometime last year sugar cane fields were up in flames a number of fire engines if not all attended that incident. Chief fire officer, can you tell me, which is the department’s first priority between life and property? Please pardon me sir I am just a lay man when it comes to fire matters but through browsing internet I have some little idea.

There is no fire brigade in the world where you will find firefighters treated or behaving like police officers, correct me if I am wrong sir, maybe it because they respect the rule of law they do not ignore court orders like yourself sir.
In the 90s countries like Botswana and South Africa used to send their officers for fire trainings here in the country. Today these countries have the best fire services than Swaziland because they concentrated in that profession and never copied other professions and also respects the rule of law.

As I mentioned above, diving and paramedic in the country was started by the fire department but today you cannot believe that.
You can think paramedic is for EPR and diving for the police yet it is not like that.

Lastly I just want to say to the firefighters, be proud of your profession guys, you are the life savers. We may look down upon you but you are saving our lives and you must know that in the whole world a firefighter is a hero, stop this madness of copying other departments’ ideas improve yours you are capable.
‘Lead they will follow’

BA Baraccus
eSwatini.

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