Bekasi Firefighters Recount Unusual Requests: Removing Rings from Genitals and Rescuing Cows

Being a firefighter apparently involves more than just handling fire reports. Some residents make unusual requests for help. The Commander of Rescue Team 5 for the Bekasi Selatan Fire Department, Roby Cahyadi, said someone once asked for help removing a ring from their genitals. He said there are also residents who request assistance evacuating cows that have fallen into ditches. “Well, pardon the expression, but things like a ring stuck on the genitals, or during the Eid al-Adha or sacrificial season, a cow falling into a ditch, that sort of thing,” Roby said after assisting residents who wanted to try the emergency sliding pole at the Bekasi Selatan Fire Department office on Thursday (25/6/2026). For context, the emergency sliding pole at the Bekasi Selatan Fire Department office went viral after several residents tried it out. Residents flocked to slide down from the upper floor of the fire station under the supervision of officers. Returning to the topic of unusual requests, Roby mentioned that the request for help from a resident to remove a ring from the genitals falls under the category of non-fire rescue. He said officers use a small grinder machine to cut the ring. “Well, for a ring, we mostly use a mini-grinder, we just cut it. We cut the ring,” he explained. He said officers always bring equipment according to the needs in the field. This includes, he said, when rescuing a sacrificial cow from a ditch. “We assess the terrain as well, we see what equipment needs to be prepared. For example, for a cow in a ditch, we need ropes, a tripod, that sort of thing,” he stated. Roby said firefighters are always on standby at the station even when there are no emergency calls. He said officers constantly undergo physical training to be ready for duty when an emergency call comes in. “Actually, if there are no emergency calls, we still review our training material from the previous course. We were trained, given lessons, we review them, we train our competencies again, that sort of thing. And our physical fitness, we train that too,” he said.