Congratulations

Last weekend, I was in Pulau Redang conducting a PADI Open Water Diver course. 4 brave souls dared themselves to overcome their fears to step over into the world of the privileged... the underwater world. Congratulations and welcome to our world....

Knowledge Review inc Theory Exam

Open Water

Graduation

JPAM Rope Rescue Technician Course

Recently, Jabatan Pertahanan Awam Malaysia (JPAM), Kuala Lumpur held our Rope Rescue Technician Course. This was a basic level specialisation training. A total of 29 participants attended the 3 days course. I was on board as part of the Technical Crew, in charged of safety and photography.

THE TECHNICAL CREW

Our Home

The technical crew as always was self reliant. We packed our stuff in 2 jalopies (4WD), mine and Sham's, which apart from our PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), climbing equipments & ropes, medical kit, survival kit....includes our ration & cooking utensils. We had our place somewhere in a remote area of the campsite. Since we had our cooking team to cook the main course, we had our own special menu such as mushroom soup, french toast, sausages, fried mee at times when we had to mobilise early and also at the waterfall where we had to stay the whole day. Kerja berat, makan pun mesti berat....

The team

One thing about the Technical Team, it comprises of a good mix of young and the 'not so young', the strong and the 'not so strong' etc etc. Since we have been together in numerous trainings and actual disasters/operations, team work was almost seem less, tasks get done without much talking....and no one complains...whether hungry or in pain.

Scenario Preparation

THE TRAINING SCENARIOS

The participants were broken up into 2 teams, namely Alpha and Bravo. The main scenario on Saturday was to carry the trauma dummy (the size of an adult male and weights 80kg) through 2km of jungle and ravines, up to the base of the waterfall. The dummy was then 'placed' at 1/3 length from the top of the waterfall. The teams were required to 'rescue' the dummy using the best technique possible and using what ever resources available.

After that, the teams were to carry back the dummy through 2km of jungle and ravines back to base camp. The track was treacherous, slippery, with one stretch having to wade through water. They arrived at base camp around 2030hrs. I was taking a bath when they informed us that a few participants collapsed. The technical crew rushed to assist. 6 people collapsed and had to be transported to Ampang Hospital. After IV drips, and 2 hours observation at the Accident & Emergency, they were 'discharged'. We offered to send them back home, but they refused. They wanted to stay on to complete the course. Bravo guys..and gals.

Phase 1

The next morning, it was scenario simulation 2, where it is a combination of SAR (Search & Rescue) and Rope Rescue techniques. The Technical crew had hid the trauma dummy in a specific area and it is the task of the teams to search and locate the dummy.

Phase 2

Of course there is no such thing as an easy 'incident area'. After much packing, the candidates were allowed to enter the training zone.Upon locating the 'patient' tucked away under fallen branches, the teams were requested to 'pack' the victim while rendering first aid.

Phase 3

The teams were then required to 'transport' the victim back to base camp. Of course the Technical Crew were very generous with the amount of mental pressure exerted on them. This was not due to ragging, but as rescuers, in real life situations, they are required to perform under tremendous stress.

While we were there, we met a few groups of school kids on a day trip to the waterfall, accompanied by some army personnel. I had some fun taking snap shots of them. Of course during this time we refrain from taking any water from the area to cook or drink...just in case...I didn't see any of them going off for any toilet breaks, and the water was cold...haha.

Next training would be my part...water rescue & scuba

Entry from the past

Since Yahoo 360 is closing down, I was reminded by Yahoo to transfer/download my blogs from there. I had completely forgotten about it since I migrated to blogspot. This particular blog from the past reminded me about my kids and worth publishing here again for safe keeping....


Entry for October 24, 2006


It will soon be dawn on the first day of Hari Raya Aidil Fitri. The great thing about this year, my 2 sons are here with me to celebrate. Last year they only came here on the 3rd day. I am proud to say that my eldest son, Muhammad Ridhwaan 9 yrs old, fasted for the whole month. I am also proud to report that my youngest, Muhammad Imraan, 6 yrs old, fasted 10 days full, and the rest for half a day.

Imraan does sometimes almost break fast during the day, especially after playing 'perang2', but the elder bro always keeps an eye on him. Then the elder bro will give a comment like "when I was your age, I didn't have a problem fasting etc, etc". They are now closer to each other, and they look out for one another. After what they went through, its expected. As a father, I am both proud and sad. Proud because my sons are closer and wiser, but also sad because I know that its the product of my divorce.

As I look at my two sons, I realised that they shall grow up very fast. Soon, they shall go to college, university perhaps...before you know it, they shall have a family of their own. By that time, I know that I have reached the end of my journey in life and my life cycle ends as theirs begins.

Transformers - Revenge of the Fallen

CaTz and I had sometime to chill so we headed to our favourite hangout place. Then I decided to check out the movies, to see whether there's anything worth watching. Then I saw...people selling Transformers merchandise at the entrance...hmmm I wonder why?. Then I saw people walking about wearing Transformers tshirts etc...hmmm I wonder why?. Then I looked at the board..then I knew why. It was a sneak preview of Transformers Revenge of the Fallen. We just knew we had to see it.

We were struck by the awesomeness of the CGI, and of course the sound effects. I think the music played a major part in creating the right atmosphere for the scenes.

This movie has everything in it, the fight scenes, the love scenes and the humor scenes. What interests me about this movie is...honour...and how one fights numerous odds and conquer one's fears ...ultimately sacrificing one's life...just to keep that honour...something that we are lacking in this world today.Oh ya...btw be prepared to sit for quite a while. The movie is long...about 2.5 hours...so buy lots of popcorn and drinks...and maybe even a pee bottle. Go and see it....

A Recce Trip

I dont know why, but after my 4WD outing, I felt so recharged, so energetic...like when I was young again...well, not to say that I am old now...maybe the correct word is younger..."like when I was YOUNGER". Hmmm that's more like it. I felt fantastic, terrific. Maybe I had found my fountain of youth perhaps? Is that true? Read on to find out the answer....

The night after my 4WD outing, I had drinks with my close JPAM buddies. Everyone had their own specialisation, me (water & medical), Awal (rope & SAR), Azzat (SAR), Tuan SK (hmmm..mengarah kot haha). We were discussing about our upcoming Rope Rescue Technician course, the training scenarios mostly. Then I suggested we make a one day recce trip the next day. So the next day, there were 6 of us in the JPAM vehicle, happily on our way to the training location.

I had everything with me, my camelbak, my Petzl helmet, my Petzl harness, my walkie talkie, my DSLR, my GPS, my cool shades...everything except...sweets or some energy replenishing stuff. I only realised this half way up, when things got a bit hazy...haha. At first I thought..hey why this jungle getting dimmer and dimmer?. Then I realised my body was giving me some warning signs. Azzat was saying "sikit lagi bang, balik selekoh tu je". When I got there, he said "Hmmm alamak salah selekoh la bang. Depan sikit lagi". Grrrrr I had the inclination to send this dude down a ravine somewhere...but then...I think he meant well...at least that's what I like to think.

Halfway up, the forward team (2 ppl) contacted by walkie talkie, " letupan satu". So Azzat lit a firecracker (a louder version of a normal firecracker) threw it and ... boom. I thought it was for the wild boars, only later back in KL, they told me "bau hamis tersangat kuat", which normally indicate the smell of a tiger. By the intensity of the smell, it was very, very near. Hmmm no wonder I felt like I was being watched since I was the last man but lucky for me, our 'esprit de corp' are strong, so the others compensated on my 'condition' and slowed down.

When we reached the waterfall, and after a short rest, the rope specialist guys started climbing and exploring the waterfall, which was to be one of the location for training scenarios. As for me...well I was the person in charge of safety, so I just stay at the bottom and catch anyone that falls...while having coffee & maggi...hehe. At 5pm it began to rain and we headed back down.

On the way back to civilisation, I received a phone call from CaTz. The slew of questions came almost non-stop. Reason? She couldn't get me on the line nor on the "Friend Finder". Aha...she knew where I was going but in her panic state, she overlooked the fact that there might be no coverage there. Duh! But I guess that shows how much she adores me, worrying her pretty head for no reason...hehe. I was tired, wet and hungry, and wasn't in the mood to argue. So I asked her "Have you had your dinner babe? Wanna have dinner with me?". That stopped her coz she didn't expected that one coming from me. Haha.

Today, I woke up a different person. As I had difficulty walking coz of my 'over-used' thigh muscles, I realised that the 'super' feeling were gone. After a few months of inactivity due to my medical condition, my muscles weren't as toned as they used to be. So I guess, that fountain of youth thing was just a myth.

Now where did I put that 'minyak tomoi' of mine......

4WD Testing

On Sunday, me and a few friends went off on a short 4WD trip. The main reason was to test our vehicles before the real trip next weekend. Well...not really a 'real' 4WD trip, but we are attending a Rope Rescue Technician course as part of the technical crew. The course is conducted in the jungle, with steep cliff or waterfall as our training ground. Of course, we also need to find a reason to thrash out our 4WD, and since there is no 4WD track to the training ground, we plan to open up a new one next week. Will keep you posted on that...

The journey

Anyway, on with the story....

Sham aka Botak called me up on Saturday midnight. "Bang jom esok test jalopi. Kerengga (another friend) dah ada sana". So Sunday morning, we met up at Petronas Batu Caves. There was another car, my friend Awal EMT & family. I had Aizat, my trainee co-pilot driving my jalopy. We were the only 2 'non family bearing' people in the group. Too bad I had sent my kids back earlier or else they would have enjoyed it.

The BBQ

The campsite was on 'private' property, so when we got there there were just the 3 jalopies. It was lucky that Botak & Awal brought their wives, which simply means.....MORE FOOD. There were Nasi Lemak, Bi Hoon Goreng, sandwiches, cold/hot water...and of course...BBQ with chicken, squid, prawns.

The next best thing was...mandi jeram. This was the highlight of the trip. Cool refreshing water...I found 'my' perfect spot. The water was so clear, I can open my eyes and the sensation was better than 'Eye Mo'. I can also feel fish nibbling at my feet...of course i looked underwater to make sure it IS fish and not something else...haha. In the evening, another 6 jalopies came.

The Ibu Mithali

I was amazed at my friend Botak & his wife. They have a baby with them on the trip. Lucky for us off roaders, our jalopy is like our second home. We have inverters in our vehicles, that can convert the batteries to amperes, thus allowing us to use any electrical device. As in Botak's case, his baby's electrical 'buaian' and stand fan. Aaahhh the comfort of home right in the jungle. Ibu Mithali award maybe?

The Jalopies

On the way back, 2 things happened to me.

One, I was so busy chatting with Awal that I went through the 'deep' end of the mud trail. My jalopy was stuck in about 3 feet of mud. Awal volunteered to go to the back and get my strap while waiting for Kerengga to position his jalopy to pull us out. He was using the side step to avoid going into the mud. Suddenly, no more Awal. The poor guy slipped and feel smack into the mud.

Two, after that I was also busy chatting. Coming down a mud slope, I didn't notice a fallen tree branch. My left tyre was stuck behind it and followed the curve of the branch. Coming down a steep slope sideways is not a good thing. My jalopy was already tilted so much that the back left tire was barely touching the ground. I thought to myself, "habis la lepas ni kena repair bumbung lak". In the end, everything was ok.

The Orang Asli Village

Throughout both incidents, the camera was with me, so unfortunately no pictures. The moral of the story is....

"Concentrate on your driving even though you have gone through that route a few times. Never underestimate the ever evolving jungle, coz the path you took this morning is different from the one you are taking in the evening."

The second moral of the story....

"Make sure you are not the only one with a camera LOL"

What this trip made me realised how much I love the outdoors and how much I had missed it. I came back refreshed...as if half of my worries went flowing down that river. One thing is for sure....like what Arnold said..."I'll be back".

Majlis Penglibatan PLKN dalam Pertahanan Awam..Final Pt

This second part of my blog was disrupted by the building collapsed Jaya incident. Thus, this is the final part of that blog....

PARADE

AWARDING OF JPAM BERET CEREMONY

VISIT TO JPAM EXHIBITION

SOME OF OUR RESCUE EQUIPMENTS

Field Mobile Kitchen (Dapur Medan)

Fiber Optic Camera

High Angle Rescue

Ambulance with Rear Floodlight

Operasi Jaya Pt 3 - What can I say?

Someone actually asked me to blog about the incident. I don't have anything much to say... except for the following...

Different characters appeared on the scene. Some to do work, some to show who is the boss, and some just to 'take a look'. However, in the actual act of curiosity, they entered the yellow zone, stepping over the yellow police line. The line was there for their safety, as the remaining building could collapse at anytime. No matter how big a post you hold, or how powerful you are, that head of yours wouldn't stand a chance against all that concrete and steel. So people, next time, have some respect and do not step over the line.

I find this sign very amusing

A well built man came to our PKTK (Pos Kawalan Tempat Kejadian), he didnt say anything, but kept looking at the board as if looking for something. So I asked him, "encik ni cari siapa?". "Maaf pak, saya ini orang Indonesia, mau cari orang bernama F (not his real name). Saya bertanyakan sama kawannya, semuanya tidak tau". Then I looked at the board. There he was, MIA #4 on the list, Mr F. So I told him that F was listed as missing. He looked motionless, composed, said thank you but just stood there. Then I asked him, "Mas ini siapa dengan F?". "Adik saya" came the answer. That's when the emotions were too much for him. I saw tears swell up in his eyes and one of my guys immediately put his hand over him. We sat him down, put a hand over his shoulder, gave him a drink and offered words of encouragement/condolences. Its one of those scenes that would continue to haunt me for a long, long time.

Imagine having this info on the board, x Mangsa Cedera, x Mangsa Negatif, x Cebisan Manusia. How do you define 'cebisan manusia'? Worst still, how do you know whether 'it' actually comes from which victim? Pieces of flesh and bones that hours ago was an actual living human? Being crushed by 2 layers of concrete floor can mashed up a human body real bad. The cebisan could be Mr F, but then again it may not be.

May their souls rest in peace. Al Fatihah