Cape Town firefighter Roderick Gubielo had a literal baptism of fire during the devastating conflagration of 2017 in Knysna. But even that could not have prepared the 27-year-old for the battle to save parliament.
Gubielo has always admired parliament’s stately buildings and hoped to visit them.
Last Sunday he did just that, but under very different circumstances. He spent hours there helping to put out the fire in the historic precinct.
“I have fought a number of devastating fires since I became firefighter in 2013,” he said.
“Last year we had the fire that threatened the University of Cape Town, which I will never forget because I was there for three days. We worked constantly.
“I was also part of a group that the City of Cape Town sent down to attend the Knysna fires. But I never expected that one day I would be called to save parliament.”
Gubielo said the thought of a fire at parliament was the last thing on his mind when he arrived at central fire station in Roeland Street last Sunday.
“When I was there I thought we should do our utmost best to save this building. It’s a historic building, one of the most important in our country. It’s a place where our laws are made and I thought I should work as efficiently as I can to put the fire out. It felt like it was the law of the country that was on fire.
“That was actually my first time in parliament. It wasn’t the experience that I wanted. But we always encounter stuff like this in life, as devastating as it is.”
Gubielo’s shift started at 9am, almost three hours after the emergency call came in. “We were dispatched to relieve the crew that was there. There were still huge flames coming out of the roof,” he said.
“When I saw parliament burning, I asked myself: ‘How is the country going to be run?’ I consoled myself with the fact that no life was lost.”
Gubielo, who was born in Vanrhynsdorp in Namaqualand, said he always wanted to be a firefighter.
“I started this job when I was 19. It’s the only thing I know. It was always my dream. Not many of us can say that they are living their dream,” he said.
“We always train to keep fit but you have to be mentally fit as well. Mental strength keeps you going when you come across disturbing scenes such as when someone has died. It works in big buildings like parliament as well.”
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