Firefighter recalls elderly woman who offered him her apartment

A woman whom firefighters helped once offered to leave her apartment to Donatas Gurevičius, a veteran of Lithuania’s Fire and Rescue Department. Gurevičius recounted the episode in an interview with LRT Radio, reported by LRT.

Gurevičius has worked for the department for 22 years. He began as a firefighter and rescuer, later moving into prevention and organising firefighting, and now advises the department on communications.

Firefighters’ work requires physical stamina and the ability to act in extreme conditions. Protective clothing, a helmet, gloves and breathing apparatus can weigh about 20 kilograms, with hoses and other equipment adding to the load. Applicants must have a clean reputation and good health, pass a physical fitness test and complete six months of training.

Fire crews work, eat and wait for calls together during 24-hour shifts. Gurevičius said humour helps colleagues cope with the stress and that the job depends on teamwork.

Firefighters now carry out more rescue operations than fire call-outs, he said. The department extinguishes about 7,000 fires a year and undertakes roughly twice as many rescue operations. For the past six or seven years, firefighters have increasingly been rescuers rather than fire extinguishers, as fires have become less frequent, Gurevičius said.

One call that stayed with him came while he was studying for a master’s degree and working as a firefighter in Vilnius. His crew was sent to Rinktinės Street to open an apartment door. Inside, they found an elderly woman who had lain on the floor for several days and could not get up or reach her phone because of her health.

Gurevičius recalled that medics and police were also at the apartment. He felt the woman needed help, so the firefighters lifted and seated her. She held on to his hand. A few hours later, after the crew had returned to the station, the Emergency Response Centre called to say the woman wanted to speak with him. She called again during several of his shifts and eventually offered to leave him her apartment, saying she had only a few months to live.

Gurevičius declined, telling her that her children and grandchildren should have it. In his more than two decades of service, he said, he had never heard of a colleague taking advantage of someone in such circumstances. People sometimes want to give everything to those who help them in a crisis, he said, adding that firefighters need a desire to help others, as well as humility and a sense of humour.

International work has also been part of Gurevičius’s career. While studying, he spent four months in the United States through the Work and Travel programme. He said improving his English later opened opportunities to take part in international training and rescue operations.