Manop Khayanganna, 31, has on several occasions worked side by side with Chakkrit Khongkom, 37, a veteran firefighter whom he counts as his mentor.
The last time they worked together was on April 3 when an inferno gutted Ratchathewi Apartment on New Phetchaburi Soi 18. Mr Manop's memory of that day remains strong, as does his gratitude to Mr Chakkrit for saving him from death during the blaze.
Without Mr Chakkrit's experience, calmness and judgement, Mr Manop said he would have died in the Ratchathewi fire.
That day, while Mr Manop was helping a 37-year-old 12th-floor resident descend the main staircase of the apartment building, thick smoke suddenly enveloped them. The woman that Mr Manop was trying to rescue had started panicking and became difficult to guide.
It was like a scene in a movie, he said. Mr Manop and the woman had to lean flat against one side of the staircase in order to avoid the smoke and were attempting to slowly crawl their way downstairs.
"While I was trying to figure out how I could cope better with the problem, Pi X [Mr Chakkrit] arrived to help," said Mr Manop.
"Using his experience of similar situations, Pi X led us back up the stairs to a room on the 14th floor which he had prepared as a safety zone for those trapped inside. Before finding us, he had already surveyed the building and found the safest spot," said Mr Manop.
In the room were more than 20 residents who had been unable to descend the stairwell due to the thick smoke.
"Pi X had sealed the gaps around the door and windows of the room with water-soaked towels. Everyone felt extremely thankful for his calmness and sound judgement," said Mr Manop.
Mr Manop is a firefighter at Banthat Thong Fire Station, while his mentor, Mr Chakkrit, works at Sutthi San Fire Station.
Mr Manop has five years experience in the profession while Mr Chakkrit has been serving as a firefighter for 13 years now.
A firefighter in uniform. Courtesy of the Fire Rescue Department, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA)
Mr Chakkrit is from Phitsanulok and has been living in Bangkok for almost 20 years. After graduating with a bachelor's degree in public administration, he applied for a job as a firefighter with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) because it sounded like the kind of job that would sate his desire for adventure.
Mr Manop, meanwhile, became a firefighter because his older brother, who works at the BMA's disaster mitigation and prevention office, encouraged him to apply.
Before he began the job, he thought the duty of a firefighter was plain and simple -- just spray water to put out fires. However, he now appreciates that it involves a lot more than that and the job is his pride and joy.
Both Mr Manop and Mr Chakkrit are determined to continue serving as firefighters for as long as they are physically able. Both have fallen in love with the profession, mainly because they take a great sense of pride in saving people's lives.
However, it's a job they do for love, not money. Despite the dangerous work, they only get 5,000 baht extra a month for the perilous duties in addition to their basic civil servant salaries.
"In the beginning, our wives were concerned about our safety. But after they saw what we do and how we do it, their fears were eased and they have gained confidence in the expertise of our team. We are well equipped with high-tech gear and have a great deal of skills and training," said Mr Manop.
The BMA firefighters' entrance examination consists of two parts -- a physical test and a written paper.
The physical test normally includes a 1km run that must be completed in five minutes, followed immediately by a 50m swim in less than one minute and 20 seconds, seven bar pull-ups and then finally carrying a human dummy weighing 50kg up a stairwell in under 15 seconds.
After passing these tests, successful applicants undergo a basic training course on disaster mitigation and prevention, which normally takes six months to complete. The training is conducted at a special facility owned by the Royal Thai Police.
The six-month training includes procedures, safety and firefighting in various different scenarios, such as at sea and other non-urban environments.
They are trained to be quick yet calm. Firefighters are required to arrive at the scene within 10 minutes of receiving notification of a blaze. Most fire alarm systems installed in buildings are set to send an alert to a nearby fire unit about five minutes after a fire breaks out.
"Skill, strength, calmness and the correct psychology are crucial when it comes to this job. Most fire victims are too frightened to think clearly what they should do to survive. So we need to be calm, efficient and confident to stop them from panicking and making the situation even more dangerous for both them and us," said Mr Chakkrit.
There was a time, about five years ago, when Mr Chakkrit was handling a fire at an apartment building on Soi Phahon Yothin 26. He spotted a very obese man, standing on a metal rack housing an air conditioner compressor attached to a balcony.
Mr Chakkrit realised that if he stepped onto the same rack, the additional weight would likely break it and cause the pair to plunge to their deaths. So instead, he encouraged the man to compose himself and climb back on to the balcony, which he finally did after Mr Chakkrit had convinced him that was the only way he might survive.
"That was a good example of how being calm can help bring about a happy ending," said Mr Chakkrit.
As a tip for anyone who may one day find him or herself struggling to find a way out of a building that is engulfed in fire, he said: "Stay as calm as possible and observe the movement of the smoke. Never run towards where the smoke is coming from. Follow the direction of the smoke as it will always be travelling away from the blaze and towards fresh air."