Projects: Fighting Fire - with girl power

Fighting Fire with Girl Power: Jeddah's volunteer female firefighters

As the smoke fades from a mock fire trial, five fire fighters walk backwards in formation slowly as they hold a high pressure hose. As more smoke clears their bright yellow fire proof vest reflect the evening sun's rays and their brightly colored safety helmets glisten. The fire fighters are different from the rest in Saudi Arabia. Their smiles as they walk away from the smoldering ruin make that obvious right away. A smile peering out from a face wrapped in a hijab.

Although not an official part of the Civil Defense services who combat fire everyday, these women and young girls are learning the ropes of fire fighting on a volunteer basis. Young mothers and students alike volunteer for the program and learn how to keep themselves safe as well as their friends should something happen.

Fire Chief and instructor for the program is Ena'am Al-Abbasi Al-Hashemi, the most outspoken of the group and the caretaker of a fiery passion not often seen. Her bright smile fades quickly when she talks about her organization of volunteers because of how important the program is to her.

"In Saudi Arabia we incorporate our religion into everything. So everywhere you go men and women are segregated. In case of a fire it's difficult when a strange man comes to (help) us and we aren't wearing our hijabs."

She said the program aims to teach women how to react in a fire-related situation to avoid another tragedy like the one in Makkah in 2006.

"The problem is that sometimes people have died, not from a fire, but they push each other (and panic) because they don't know where the fire exit is or what to do," Al-Hashemi said. "So now there can be a trained person there who will know how to react and she will guide them to the right place. Since she's a woman just like them there wont be any embarrassment if they aren't covered. She will understand their needs and she will understand their situation."

On a regular basis the program is taken to places like Dar Al-Hekma and Effat College as well as primary schools to teach students basic fire safety.

Several of the women taking part in the program said since they fight fire it gives them strength to do other things like talk back to rude people or men who harass them.

Last year the group took part in the Civil Defense exhibition held every year on Civil Defense appreciation day. Al-Hashemi said they were well received and mothers and children were very interested in what they had to offer.

Her father and founder of the Adnan Al-Abbasi Al-Hashimi said the training was important because it gives women the ability to help themselves during a crisis like a fire in the home. A 36-year veteran of the Civil Defense

"Women are mother, sisters and daughters. If a man is not present in the home, they need to learn about fire (safety) so that they can help herself and her family," he said. "Sometimes some people because of how we are educated, they think that ladies cannot work in the civil defense. Yes, women are different from men, but she can help her family in her home."

With a visible pride swelling up inside him, his eyes gleam through his sunglasses, "Right now I have 120 girls that are part of my team, but until now we've trained up to about 1,200."

In the future he hopes the girls will be part of the Civil Defense reaction teams but the country still needs time for something like this to occur. "The Civil Defense have said they would take the girls in the future, but not now. We need time."

Ena'am Al-Abbasi Al-Hashemi chimed in "we hope we can have a section in the Civil Defense, so that in case of an emergency the female section can go with them and they do their part; and we do our part. We aren't there to challenge them we are just completing their job."