Small world: from shared roots to shared duty on a fiery day in Ottawa

A man’s vehicle malfunctioned and burst into flames at Bank Street and Dun Skipper Road on April 24, 2025.

Responding to the call was Ottawa Police constable Omer Abdullah, who directed traffic while Ottawa Fire Department worked on putting the fire out.

To his surprise, the firefighter was Hani Dakwar, a friend he met in university back in 2007.

“We are actually both originally from Palestine,” Dakwar said. “Our families ended up in the same city in Lebanon as refugees. From there, both our families immigrated to Canada.”

“We instantly became good friends because we grew up in the same city and both moved to Ottawa.”

From studies to service, their paths still cross and the two first responders get to make a difference together in the same city.

The owner of the vehicle was in distress. Abdullah and Dakwar supported him through this scary situation, arranged transportation, organized a tow truck for his car and took care of the situation.

Thank you for your service.