While firefighters are commonly associated with brave and brawny men, there are also women firefighters, who, though not as brawny, are as courageous.

FMT Lifestyle speaks with Marina Mohd Kassim and Azarina Adam, the only two women firefighters in a team of 36 at the Kota Raja Fire and Rescue station in Klang, to learn more about their journey – which included finding love in the line of duty.

A family legacy of serving the nation

Marina, 48, followed in the footsteps of her late firefighter father. She has been a firefighter for 25 years.

Growing up in Pahang, Marina recalled being fascinated by the sound of fire truck sirens, and longed to be like the men on duty putting out a raging fire.

But her father was concerned. “He knew it was hard work and he didn’t think it would be suitable for a woman,” she said, although he relented eventually. Today, Marina and her three brothers are all firefighters.

For her colleague, Azarina, it was a slightly different journey. The 37-year-old, who has been a firefighter for over 10 years, shared that she initially wanted to become a police officer or a soldier.

“I didn’t know that there were women firefighters,” said Azarina who hails from Perak.

Her uncle, she revealed, was a soldier as was her brother. However, she failed the height requirement at the interview.

But the closed door turned out to be a blessing because she ended up going for an interview to become a firefighter instead, and the rest is history.

Sparks of romance

How amusing is it that both women are married to firefighters and met their husbands in the line of duty!

“I met him during a training session. Maybe it’s my fate as it wasn’t long before we decided to get married,” Marina shared. Today, the couple have four children between six and 21 years old.

Juggling work and family, she added, was easier because her husband, who is based in another fire and rescue station in Klang, understands the nature of her job.

It’s a sentiment echoed by Azarina, who is grateful for her husband’s support. The couple have three children aged between three and eight.

She, too, met her husband when they trained together although she revealed that sparks didn’t initially fly! “Back then, we were fighting,” she said with a laugh. Or perhaps, sparks did fly!

After getting married, Azarina transferred to the Kota Raja Fire and Rescue Station in Klang from Perak to be with her husband who is stationed in Port Klang.

Breaking barriers

Both women admitted that the initial days of training were hard. “We did everything that the men did. At times, I felt like crying and quitting but my friends encouraged me to keep going,” Azarina recalled.

Marina became the first woman firefighter at the Port Klang Fire and Rescue Station, which was her first posting. Asked what the experience was like, she shared: “It wasn’t awkward for me as I focused on work and did whatever my teammates did.”

For the duo, some cases are hard to forget, and for Azarina, it was one of the first cases she handled after she completed her training.

“We received a call that there was an accident. I didn’t know how serious it was when I arrived at the scene. But I had to collect body parts of the victims that were scattered.

“I felt like throwing up but knew I couldn’t because the public were watching us,” she recalled, adding that it was an accident between a lorry and a car.

Marina, too, admitted, that encountering bodies of those who have drowned can be particularly unsettling. “The bodies only usually float to the surface after three days,” she explained.

There were also some cases that stuck in their minds for a good reason. One of them, Marina shared, involved a house that caught fire twice!

“The children were home alone as the mother was out working. She was so grateful that we responded quickly, and I felt appreciated,” Marina recalled, adding that she and her team saved six kids.

There are benefits to being a woman on the frontline, Azarina added. “Women are usually traumatised when they see fire. So, I can also provide comfort to them and it’s something that I enjoy doing.”

For the duo, their passion remains as fiery today as the day they started, and Marina in particular, enjoys seeing more women take the bold step to become firefighters.

“I am proud and welcome more ladies to join us,” she shared.