TR EMERITUS

That’s what I learnt in the sentence of 6 months of SCDF officer, Kamil, 39, who was the highest ranking officer at the time of the fire at Block 91 Henderson Road in Bukit Merah.

Edward H. Go was only 19 at that time. He was found motionless on the kitchen floor. He passed on thereafter.

A bright student who aspired to go to med school, Edward’s autopsy had certified the cause of death to be "suffocation due to depleted air cylinder".

At the sentencing, Judge Shawn Ho was seen choking up when he said: “I extend my deepest condolences to the family of Mr Edward H. Go. He tragically lost his life while serving national service as a brave firefighter.”

Unfortunately, courage under fire exemplified in a young son all fathers could intimately feel for gave his life, which in my earnest view, could have been avoided, if not for a thumbs up to go in the unit to fight alone.

It could even be that Edward didn’t know that he was left alone to fight fire. The evidence showed that “Kamil tapped (Edward) on his back, gave him a thumbs up and left the unit (on fire), leaving the NSF alone in the flat.” Kamil left because he felt dizzy from the engulfing smoke.

It is reported that “Kamil did not verbally inform (Edward) that he was leaving, even though the fire had not been put out.”

Kamil then went to the staircase to rest so that he would not be seen as leaving the unit so early. But what is tragic is that when another firefighter (LTC Hassan) met him at the staircase, Kamil did not even tell him that Edward was in the unit alone.

Kamil also did not informed anyone else in SCDF about Edward during such crucial time where every second counts, which could have made all the difference. FYI, Kamil has 14 years of experience in SCDF.

It is one thing to allow one fellow firefighter to confront the flames alone, it is really another thing to leave him there to fight by himself. There’s only so long a vulnerable soul can hold his breath, before the air in his tank runs out.

For Edward, I believe duty came before personal safety, and in fulfilling it, he gave his life in the fight.

While I can understand in the heat of the moment, you can’t expect one to think straight. Mistakes will be made. Kamil’s lawyer did say, “It was a real-life situation, and he made a mistake, under pressure and under duress, and unfortunately he will have to pay for it.”

However, recounting the event based on what is reported, he had the opportunity to change course, to inform, to seek help, and most crucially, to consciously reflect for a moment how one man fighting against the engulfing flames and fumes is on a level that is no different from mission impossible, especially if the brave young man was determined to complete the mission.

In real-life, if it cost you little to make such a huge difference in someone’s life, someone who has put his entire faith and trust on you, especially in a life-death situation, the least you could do is to turn back and reach out to him.

And Kamil knew that the mission came in pairs so that one could always look after the other’s back.
As a father who also has a son about Edward’s age, I can’t imagine the pain his father goes thru knowing how brave his son was, and at the same time, how the many opportunities were lost that could have snatched him from the swallowing flames.

Alas, we all make mistakes, but sadly, the consequences of some of them are irreversible. And yes, we are all redeemable. But some redemption journey comes with such great price.

Micheal Han