By Elisavet Georgiou, 24news
This interview is part of the series “Six Shocking Firefighter Testimonies.” The series offers a glimpse into the lives of those on the front lines. Firefighters recount moments that left an indelible mark, from challenging rescues and tragedies involving children, to the massive explosion in Mari. Through their stories, readers gain insight into the risks, emotions, and human side of firefighting.
“We don’t want anything else, just to save him”
A firefighter’s life is full of difficult decisions and fear, but also moments of fulfillment. EMAK Commander Charalambos Charalambous reflects on his career from 1989 to today. He recalls the early incidents that shaped him, major fires in Cyprus and Greece, and his guiding philosophy: “There is no ‘I,’ it’s always ‘we.’”
From the first steps to today
Charalambous joined the Fire Service in 1989. He notes that training was limited then, compared with the modern three-year program and advanced equipment available today. Yet the core of the work remains the same: teamwork and solidarity.
“If I were born again, I would become a firefighter again. I don’t regret my choice for a single minute,” he said.
The first major incidents
In 1992, three years into his service, Charalambous faced a difficult rescue at the Pedieos River. A car carrying a father and his 7-year-old child was at risk of being swept away by the raging waters, held only by a eucalyptus log.
“I had only been in the service for three years. There were only three of us. The supervisor and a colleague held me by a rope so I wouldn’t be swept away. The water reached my neck. When I approached the sinking car, I introduced myself to the father to gain his trust and explained that I would rescue the child first, then him. I still remember their names to this day,” he recalled.
After safely bringing the child to shore, Charalambous returned for the father.
“He broke down in tears of relief when he realized his child was safe. I rescued him as well, and then a tow truck arrived. I went back into the water to secure the vehicle. Both were saved.”
A few days later, the father sent a letter of thanks to the director.
“You feel a moral satisfaction in saving two lives. That is a firefighter’s reward—the moment you realize why you are trained,” Charalambous said.
He emphasizes the firefighter mindset: “We never think of stepping back. We go to save the person. Always positive thinking; no one retreats. No firefighter ever retreats.”
Tragic incidents
Charalambous also recalls calls with tragic outcomes.
“One of the first calls was a car accident involving a mother and her children. After the rescue, I went to the hospital and heard the doctor say, ‘We lost one of the babies.’ I broke down. I had a young daughter myself then. I grieved for three days.”
At the time, firefighters had no professional psychological support and had to cope on their own. Today, they can access trained psychologists.
Firefighting challenges
Among the most difficult incidents was an April fire involving a modular vehicle that turned out to be an oil tanker.
“The entire highway was covered in fuel. The tanker had hit a container, causing a fire, and the situation was extremely dangerous. It was a truly complex incident.”
Two people were trapped: the tanker driver, covered in fuel and injured, and another driver pinned under the container. The rescue took two hours with cooperation from paramedics and firefighters.
“As soon as he recovered, he came to the station, ate with us, wanted to see us, and thank us. We don’t want anything else, just that we saved him,” Charalambous said.
After the incident, a meeting with Traffic Police established guidelines for handling similar situations.
Memories from Greece – Ilia, 2007
Charalambous has participated in missions in Cyprus and abroad, including Greece in 2000, 2007, and more recently last year. One intense memory is the 2007 fires in Ilia.
“The journey was three and a half hours; we saw no green, everything was burned. We saved a village at the last moment after a flare-up. I remember an old man sitting in his church. I sat beside him, and he said, ‘Yesterday I had grass and no sheep, today I have sheep and no grass.’ It stayed with me.”
Nightmares after the Limassol fire
He considers the worst fire he has faced to be the recent one in mountainous Limassol. “It was a huge fire, unlike anything I’ve seen before. Conditions favored its spread, the terrain was difficult, and we operated for 36 continuous hours.”
Those days left him with nightmares. “After the Limassol fire, I had nightmares. Conditions were extremely tough. We are not heroes. We want to do our job, but we are human too, with sensitivities,” he said.
Criticism from the public also hurt many firefighters. “People spoke as if the fire service was absent. Firefighters came to me saying, ‘Sir, we were in danger, we were there, why do they speak as if we weren’t?’ We went to five villages with my teams, doing everything we could to protect people and homes.”
His team rescued two people trapped in their homes as the fire approached. Many colleagues suffered post-traumatic stress after this fire “We are not made of steel; we are human too.”
“If I were born again, I’d be a firefighter”
Despite the hardships, Charalambous remains committed. “If I were born again, I would become a firefighter, if I pass the exams, because now they are very difficult,” he said with a laugh.
He stresses the importance of training, theory, and practice: “A good firefighter must be able to work in natural conditions, ready physically and psychologically.”
With 36 years of service, he feels it is his duty to support his team. “People get tired, work under pressure, and I must be there. Experience counts for everyone’s safety.”
He concludes: “Our job is not to meet people in good times but in difficult ones. We are human too. We make no distinctions; all citizens are equal before us. And we will continue to do our duty.”
