MONTHLY NEWS
January 2003

Volunteer Firefighters Show Their Skills

Fire! You call 119 (the emergency number in Japan), and firefighters from your local fire station rush to the spot within minutes. This is what usually happens. But what if you live in a town with no fire stations of its own? In small towns like Minami-Izu, which is 150 kilometers southwest of Tokyo on the southern tip of the Izu Peninsula in Shizuoka Prefecture, community fire brigades made up of male citizens come to the rescue.

On January 4, 290 men - the dads, uncles, and big brothers of Minami-Izu Town - took part in the dezome ceremony, a New Year parade that has been a tradition of Japanese firefighters for centuries. The men stood in line, wearing dark blue uniforms with the kanji (Chinese characters) for 'Minami-Izu' printed boldly on their backs as the mayor thanked them for the important role they played in the community. Behind them, 24 shiny red fire engines were parked in a row, awaiting to be inspected. All the vehicles are fully equipped with hoses and pumps to deal with a fire.

There are six community fire brigades in Minami-Izu, with a total of 396 men above the age of 16 signed up for service. In case of a fire, they are notified by the fire station in neighboring Shimoda Town. "Once we get a call, be it day or night, we drop whatever we're doing and rush to the scene," said Michiyasu Takahashi, chief of all the town's fire brigades who usually works in the construction business. Each year community firefighters spend 40 days in training and are called into action about five or six times. They also take part in search operations when tourists go missing.

In the parade, the fire engines were driven out and lined up along a river that runs through the town. The men pumped water from the river for a water-spraying demonstration. Seven columns of rainbow-colored water arched across the river to mark the special occasion. "It's great fun to watch," said eight-year-old Haruka Yamada, who came to see her dad, Isao Yamada, at work.

"You feel like a hero when you extinguish a fire," said Mr. Yamada, a 15-year veteran and head of a local brigade. But some fires get nasty, as with a school building that completely burned down about ten years ago, he recalled. "Smoke was everywhere. We took turns holding the hose and getting out to a clearing to breathe." And it's tough on those who wait at home. "I worry until he comes home," said Mrs. Yamada. "When he returns from a fire, his face is black with soot and his clothes are all wet. I try to get him into a hot bath as quickly as I can."

Family support keeps the community firefighters going. And this year, they have an added goal. The annual contest of firefighting skills for seven local towns will take place in Minami-Izu. "With extra alertness and solid teamwork, we'll aim for first place," said Mr. Takahashi. Keep up the good work, guys - and good luck with the tournament!

Photos: (Top) Mr. Yamada; (second) The firefighters line up; (third) Spraying arcs of water over the river; (bottom) Firefighters operating a fire truck.