| Aziz Idris |
A SUM of $28,888 for the Firefighter Welfare Fund was raised during a charity themed run where runners donned the iconic blue and yellow strips, a symbol of the local firefighters who tirelessly fight the rampant bushfires that hit the nation.
The Firefighters Run 2016 saw an over-whelming response from the caring public with a total attendance of nearly 3,000 runners from all walks of life that came to support the nation’s heroes.
Present at the event as the guest of honour was the Minister of Home Affairs, Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Kerna Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Haji Awang Abu Bakar bin Haji Apong.
Shortly after 7am, the minister sounded the customary horn to signal the official flag-off for the competitive 10km male run, followed by the competitive 10km female run, before flagging-off the 5km fun run for the male and female categories and 3km family fun run at every five minute intervals.
The top three winners of the 10km male category were Sefli Ahar, Samsul Zamri and Rustam Efendi bin Haji Minor. The fastest runners in the female 10km category were Yvette JM Kortekass, Vanessa Lobb and Jenny Tan Feng Ling.
Minister of Home Affairs, Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Kerna Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Haji Awang Abu Bakar bin Haji Apong, organisers, top officals from the Fire and Rescue Department in a group photo with the mock cheque for the Firefigher Welfare Fund. PHOTOS: AZIZ IDRIS
Prior to the prize presentation, the founder of the Heroes Event Management, Aaron Goh, as the main organiser for the event, presented a mock-cheque to the guest honour for the Firefighter Welfare Fund, witnessed by top ranking officials from the Fire and Rescue Department.
In show of support, the race also saw participation of firefighters from the neighbouring states of Sabah (four runners), Sarawak (two runners) and Johor (three runners).
During an interview with the local press, Aaron Goh said that apart from raising funds for the welfare of the firefighters, the event hopes to raise awareness on tackling issues that can no longer be ignored, which is global warming.
One of the female contenders pulling an eight tonne firetruck as part of the post-run activities held within the Fire and Rescue Headquarters compound
Top three winners of the competitive 10 km run female category
“It is a phenomenon that has been seen and felt all around the world. Zooming in to Brunei, the country has been plagued with an increasing number of bushfires that have still yet to be fully eradicated,” he added.
“They (firefighters) are truly at risk and they spend long hours away from family, exposed to harmful fumes during their duties,” he explained before adding quickly that the public should play their part in combating fire related issues in order to maintain safety.
To further create awareness to the public, runners were encouraged to participate in post-run activities that were related to fire safety. Personnel from the Fire and Rescue headquarters conducted demonstrations on using fire extinguishers, shooting targets, fastest time to suit-up into firefighter gears, flying fox as well as an obstacle course.
Participation from the Fire and Rescue Department, Zone 6 in Miri, Sarawak was also ensured to promote a similar themed charity run to be held on July 22 in Miri. Registration is open until July 17.
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