On a morning in early october, Pham Van Nung, 54, owner of an agricultural supply store at Tan Thanh market, opened his doors to customers. When business was slow, he would go into the area storing his firefighting equipment to arrange, clean, and maintain it. Even when busy, he dedicated sunday mornings to inspect, charge batteries, and lubricate the machines. "The engine must start immediately; any malfunction during a fire rescue could be disastrous," he said.

Over 20 years ago, Nung witnessed his father-in-law diligently keep a water pump ready for extinguishing fires. This experience made Nung realize the importance of fire prevention. From then on, he harbored the intention to equip a professional firefighting system to protect his family and neighbors.

Hai Nung (left) inspects firefighting equipment which he has invested in over many years. *Photo: Thanh Thao*

In 2021, Nung bought a used Japanese Tohatsu pump for 85 million dong. Not long after, a fire broke out at a neighbor's house about 70 m away, and he brought out the pump to spray water. It was the first time he deployed the equipment, and he realized its true value. "The fire was put out, and the homeowner hugged me, crying and thanking me," Nung recounted.

From that moment, he began collecting firefighting equipment. Starting with one system, he acquired six more pumps, equipping his son's family and keeping them ready at home, prepared to "battle the fire enemy."

He currently owns three types of high-capacity pumps, capable of pumping 1,200 to 1,400 liters of water per minute, with a spray range of 30 m, and can draw water from up to 500 m away. On average, each hour of firefighting, a pump consumes 20 liters of gasoline. He also equipped walkie-talkies to coordinate team members, while protective gear was provided by local authorities. Over the past five years, these firefighting resources have extinguished 22 fires.

Witnessing Nung's effective firefighting efforts, 20 local residents volunteered to join. On 14/8, the Hai Nung Volunteer Fire and Rescue Team was officially established by local authorities and provided with systematic training.

A training session of the Hai Nung Firefighting Team, 8/2026. *Photo: Thanh Thao*

Over the years, the team has become a valuable support force for professional firefighters. Most recently, when a garment factory on National Highway 30 caught fire, Nung deployed four pumps to assist. The team drew water from a nearby pond, continuously spraying to cool the area from morning until evening to control the blaze. Previously, during a fire near a seafood company in Tam Nong district, the team also arrived promptly, operating two pumps at full capacity for 10 minutes, saving half of an adjacent house.

Nung established strict principles for his team members: absolute avoidance of recklessness. If they arrive early, the team will strive to extinguish the fire. If the fire has already intensified, the priority is to spray water to contain it, preventing it from spreading to neighboring houses, and leaving professional firefighting tasks to specialized forces.

After five years of investment, Hai Nung now has a total of six high-capacity firefighting systems. *Photo: Thanh Thao*

Nguyen Phuoc Trieu, a team member, stated that local residents strongly support this initiative. Monthly fuel and equipment maintenance costs, ranging from hundreds of thousands to several million dong, are all personally covered by Nung from his agricultural supply business income.

According to Lieutenant Colonel Vo Minh Ni, Deputy Chief of Tan Thanh Commune Police, Nung's and the volunteer team's contributions have helped enhance the locality's on-site emergency response capabilities.

Approaching 60 years old, Nung plans to eventually transfer all existing equipment to the younger generation within the team to continue maintaining community support activities.

Ngoc Tai - Thanh Thao