Wangcheng fire brigade chases after altruism

The 'Lei Feng's Diary' books are used by soldiers of the fire brigade in Wangcheng district, Changsha, Hunan province. Provided to China Daily

Soldiers of the fire brigade in Wangcheng district, Changsha city hold a diary to take notes on the good deeds they did and the pleasure they feel for helping others. The black cover has the inscription in golden characters of "Lei Feng's Diary" emblazoned on it.

Lei Feng has become a household name in China for his altruism. His diary, first published in the early 1960s, described his selfless thoughts and good deeds. Today in his hometown of Wangcheng, firefighters have resumed with writing a diary of their good deeds.

Since its establishment in 1978, the fire brigade has carried out more than 6,000 operations.

They rescued approximately 670 people while preventing more than 1 billion yuan ($158.6 million) of economic losses.

When Hunan province suffered from a severe drought in September 2007, the fire brigade deployed 12 soldiers to help the Pingtang and Hanpu townships with supplying 800 tons of drinking water to locals. They traveled more than 3,000 kilometers altogether for 12 consecutive days.

In 2008, when the province endured a snowstorm, the brigade provided food and drinking water to passengers detained in the local railway station for three consecutive days.

They swept out snow and ice in factories to prevent 30 million yuan in property damage.

The soldiers pay attention to special groups such as disabled children. They had written the first in the nation fire emergency guide in Braille and in hand language.

(China Daily 02/20/2012 page14)