Editor's note: Yao Weijun, a 23-year-old fireman, lost his life while trying to save a 95-year-old woman from a fire in a house in Ningde, East China's Fujian province last week. His death has triggered a heated debate recently on whether a young man should risk his life to save a nonagenarian. Following are the views of two journalists and a scholar on the incident:
Every human life is worth saving
It's a big tragedy that both the young firefighter and the nonagenarian lost their lives in the fire. Since the 23-year-old firefighter could have had a brighter future, many believe his ultimate sacrifice was in vain as the 95-year-old also died in the fire.
However, his sacrifice should not be weighed in terms of gain and loss, because as a solider to serve the people, he has the moral and societal responsibility of saving, or trying to save, another person's life. To think otherwise is regressive, which could prompt people to not help those in need.
Fortunately, firefighters have never been confused with such questions. Whenever asked, the firefighters have said they have never hesitated even for a second or cared about their own lives before rescuing those trapped in a fire. This spirit has been on display every time a fire has broken out, including the devastating chemical explosion in Tianjin in August 2015.
We should respect the dedication and sacrifice of those firefighters rather than racking our brains over whether or not a young firefighter should risk his life to save a woman in her nineties. By drawing inspiration from the firefighters' devotion and sacrifice, people can help build a better social atmosphere.
Xu Haidong, a writer with PLA Daily
Firefighters deserve better protection
Yao Weijun, the young firefighter who died trying to save a 95-year-old woman, is not the only hero of his kind, as more than 200 firefighters have lost their lives since 2000. Of course, these heroes deserve the highest respect for their ultimate sacrifice. But more importantly, they deserve advanced firefighting gear and training so as to not become the victims of fires.
The lessons learnt from the deaths of young firefighters in the Tianjin blast in 2015 and the heart-breaking scene of two young firefighters being blown out of a Shanghai mansion by a deadly blaze in early 2014 should prompt the authorities to increase the spending on firefighting equipment to protect precious lives.
Developed countries reportedly spend about 0.26 percent of GDP on their fire departments, with Japan allocating about 0.33 percent of its GDP to its fire department. In contrast, China's first-tier cities such as Beijing and Shanghai spend only about 0.1 percent of local GDP on firefighting, while most other regions' budget for their fire departments is about 0.05 percent of local GDP.
In fact, Japan has been using robots on the frontline of firefighting since the 1980s, while other developed countries such as Canada and the United Kingdom use drones. Also, GPS can be used effectively to position firefighters who lose contact with their teammates during rescue operations.
As the world's second-largest economy, China should spend more on the fire department to catch up with the developed countries, and take effective measures to protect firefighters' lives.
Ku Ma, a writer with China Daily
The elderly are more vulnerable to accidents
Firefighters' mission is to save lives irrespective of how young or old those trapped in a fire are. In the Fujian case, people shouldn't forget that the life of the 95-year-old woman trapped in the fire was as valuable as any other. The only family member living with her was her daughter-in-law, another senior citizen who managed to survive this fire.
Given China's rapidly aging population, it is important and necessary for the entire society to take better care of senior citizens. In metropolises, for example, the annual average rate of increase in the aging population has been 1 percent in recent years. The sixth census data show that in Beijing, the number of people above 65 years of age accounts for about 10 percent of the city's total population. The current mainstream pattern of providing for the elderly mostly depends on home-based care, which can hardly meet their needs, particularly when it comes to the long-term care that the physically challenged senior citizens need.
Coordinated efforts by families and communities could help tackle this problem.
The central government has implemented the strategy of home-based care, complemented by community nursing service for the elderly. And it is the responsibility of social organizations and community residents to work together to build comprehensive community support networks. If such a scheme is put into practice and proves successful in more areas, more caregivers could come forward to provide eldercare and prevent a Fujian-like tragedy from happening again.
Wang Chunguang, director of Social Policy Center, Institute of Sociology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
