This Kelantan Woman Left Her Career In Nursing To Become A Firefighter
"I believe women are capable of shouldering this duty as well as men can," she said.
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Meet Normaisarah Ibrahim
She left her career as a nurse in 2014 to pursue her ambition of becoming a firefighter.
Image via Bernama/New Straits Times
Now, seven years later, she's living her dream
Although in a male-dominated profession, the 31-year-old said she has always loved challenges and jobs that require her to be physically active.
If anything, she said her current work always gives her an opportunity to prove that she is on par with her male colleagues.
"What's more, I love interacting with the public. Through this profession, I can serve the community," Normaisarah told Bernama in conjunction with International Women's Day today, 8 March.
Image via Bernama/New Straits Times
Hailing from Kelantan, Normaisarah has been serving as a firefighter in Seremban since 2017
She was initially tasked by Paroi Fire and Rescue Department with putting out fires and special duties such as saving accident victims.
However, in the past three years, she has been putting her experience as a nurse to good use.
She is currently assigned to the Emergency Medical Rescue Services (EMRS) unit that provides emergency and first responder treatment to victims involved in accidents.
With a Diploma in Nursing from Kuala Lumpur, her knowledge has helped guide her decisions
"Two days ago, I was involved in an operation to rescue accident victims involving two vehicles, in which two died and three others were injured after being trapped," she said.
"With my experience, I was able to assess the accident victims quickly as well as provide early treatment to those injured before they were sent to the hospital."
Image via Bernama/Sinar Harian
However, with every job comes its challenges
In addition to the daily difficulties of attending emergencies, Normaisarah said they recently have to adhere to strict COVID-19 safety procedures.
"When rescuing victims trapped in road accidents or fires, we have to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) in hot weather, not to mention carry a hose weighing 16kg to put out fires," she explained.
Image via Bernama/New Straits Times
Nonetheless, the firefighter advised young women to not be easily discouraged if they would like to pursue a career in firefighting too
"I believe women are capable of shouldering this duty as well as men can," she said.
Despite being in over 30 firefighting and special services operations now, Normaisarah said she still aspires to provide excellent service to the community and be an outstanding firefighter.
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