When everyone else is trying to get away from a fire, Mabalacat City Councilor Timothy Paul Llanos Dee walks toward it.

A volunteer firefighter, Dee and his team were once again among the first to respond when fire broke out at the Pampang Public Market in Angeles City on September 16.

But this time, answering the call came with a personal struggle.

Dee had just undergone eye surgery. It had been less than a week, and he knew he was not yet supposed to be out responding to emergencies.

Then his phone rang.

He hesitated. Should he go? In the end, his heart won.

“How can you say no when someone calls and asks for help?” was the question he asked himself.

So he went.

He pushed himself through the eight-hour firefighting operation despite knowing he was not yet supposed to be doing it. By the end, he was exhausted, his whole body aching and trembling, his clothes soaked from the firefighting effort.

There were difficult moments, too. Some people were understandably angry and frustrated amid the chaos of the fire.

But then came a moment that made everything worthwhile.

A fire victim approached Dee, asked permission, and suddenly embraced him.

The person had just lost belongings to the fire, yet still took the time to say thank you.

For Dee, that simple embrace meant more than words could express.

He described the incident as one of those moments that reminds him why he continues to do what he does.

“It made me feel alive and thankful, for I am blessed to be a blessing to others.”

The Pampang fire was painful to watch, he said, especially seeing the market slowly burn while feeling helpless to stop the destruction. Yet when the call for help came, he chose to answer.

That is the reality of volunteer firefighting. It is not always about being fearless. Sometimes, it is about being tired, hurting, uncertain—and still showing up.

“Walking into fire is something Dee will never hesitate to do — because when someone needs help, he will always choose to answer the call.”