by Dr Rahim Said
Picture this: a fire and rescue team, sirens blazing, equipment ready, racing to a scene. You’d think they’re heading to save someone from a burning building, or perhaps rescuing a kitten from a tree.
But no — this time, it’s a child’s toy stuck in a tree! That’s right, our brave Abang-Abang Bomba were summoned to do the unthinkable: retrieve a toy.
This recent incident at Jalan Alor, shared by TikTok user @badguy5520, encapsulates the utter absurdity of such misuse of public services.
One can only marvel at the audacity of the parents who made the call. With ladders and manpower deployed for what should have been a trivial, personal inconvenience, it’s baffling that this was even entertained by the fire and rescue department.
But here’s where the real outrage begins: why are people so willing to waste valuable public resources –and by extension, taxpayers’ money — for such trivial matters?
It’s one thing for Abang Bomba to respond to real emergencies, saving lives or even helping stranded animals.
It’s quite another to send them out for a task that could have easily been solved with, say, a trip to the nearest hardware store to purchase a ladder or, even better, some basic common sense.
This incident reeks of entitlement. Calling emergency services for something as mundane as a child’s toy being stuck in a tree should be met not just with social ridicule but with fines.
Yes, fines. Parents who exhibit such a lack of regard for public resources need to feel the financial sting of their thoughtlessness.
Emergency services are stretched thin as it is — our firefighters should not be reduced to glorified tree-climbers every time someone’s plastic action figure gets lodged in the branches.
There is an underlying message here about personal responsibility: At what point did people lose the ability to solve their own minor inconveniences? More importantly, at what point did they decide that their minor inconveniences should become our collective problem, handled by publicly-funded emergency services?
The fire department isn’t a personal handyman service, nor should it be used as one. We constantly hear about Abang Bomba risking their lives — sometimes working without the proper resources or support — while they continue to fulfill their duty to protect citizens.
To trivialise their work by summoning them for such petty matters is not only disrespectful but borders on the offensive. It sends the message that their time and skill are expendable, something to be used at the whim of the irresponsible.
What’s next? Should the fire department be called to rescue a remote-controlled car from a storm drain? Will we see Abang Bomba summoned to inflate pool toys during a birthday party?
The line between public service and personal convenience must be clearly drawn, and punitive measures may be the only way to ensure that people think twice before making such outrageous requests.
While some may dismiss this incident as harmless or funny, it sets a dangerous precedent. The next time someone calls the fire department for a real emergency — a fire, an accident, a medical situation — there’s a chance the responders might be busy retrieving someone’s overpriced drone from a rooftop.
And that’s where the true cost of this absurdity lies: in wasted time that could mean the difference between life and death.
Let’s stop glorifying stupidity and start valuing the services we often take for granted. The parents who thought it was acceptable to drag the fire department into their child’s minor misadventure should be made an example of — not only for their lack of common sense but for their sheer disregard for the importance of emergency services.
Fines may seem harsh, but what’s the alternative? If you don’t want to be financially penalised for wasting public resources, then perhaps, just perhaps, you should learn to solve your own problems like an adult.
Abang Bomba are heroes, not babysitters. It’s time we start treating them as such.
Dr. Rahim Said is a human behaviourist and regular contributor on digital media platforms. He is a professional management consultant, a corporate trainer and an executive coach specialising in coaching of senior executives and individual entrepreneurs with the purpose of modifying their behaviour in the pursuit of their cherished missions.
(The views expressed by our columnist are entirely his own)
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