Early in his career, Johannesburg firefighter, Kagiso Phasha, 34, had to attend to a vehicle accident on the N12 during the festive season in which an entire family travelling in a sedan perished. “They were all dead. It was emotional; the whole family, unfortunately, lost their lives in that vehicle accident,” he said.
Phasha, a firefighter since 2013, stationed at the Eldorado Park fire station, continues to work during the festive season in an endeavour to save people’s lives, a job he regards as a calling. “We will never forget. Death is not something that you forget, but it is something you should learn to live with.
“You live with it to take another call. I will try to make sure that we rescue people in an emergency. If we fail, that should be the last resort.
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It makes us feel better if we know that we tried our best.” Having to deal with devastating motor vehicle accidents and fire calls, he takes succour from employee wellness services offered by the city’s emergency management services (EMS) and from his colleagues. As colleagues, we have that time when we debrief and sit down to talk about such calls. In the beginning, when I started, it was emotional, but as time went on, I got to adjust and sit down and debrief with my colleagues.
In the beginning, when I started, it was emotional, but as time went on, I got to adjust and sit down and debrief with my colleagues.” The team also plays board games at the station and enjoys swimming. “As a shift, we are one and we know how to cheer each other up,” he said. Each day when he leaves his home in Soweto, where he stays with his partner, his daughter and his younger brother, he prays.
He said he prays for his colleagues to ensure that if he is not alert during any incident they have to deal with, his colleagues will be. “If they are alert, they can also help me out. If he/she can be alert, we know we are in good hands. So you must pray for your colleagues and make sure that you do it as a shift when you get to work.
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