KUCHING: The number of fire cases recorded in the first six months of this year saw a decrease compared to the same period last year.
This was revealed by Malaysia Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) director-general Datuk Mohammad Hamdan Wahid during an Aidilfitri and Ngiling Bidai gathering at the multipurpose hall of Tabuan Jaya Bomba headquarters here, on Sunday.
“A total of 4,514 emergency calls were recorded in the first six months of 2019 where 1,492 cases were related to fires while 2,892 were rescue cases with 124 special task cases,” he said.
Hamdan added that “Ops Raya” conducted during the Hari Raya and Gawai Dayak festive seasons also managed to record a decrease in emergency calls on fire cases in the month of June.
“80 per cent of Bomba personnel were unable to take their leave and continued with their work through the operation to ensure that the public are safe during the festive seasons,” he pointed out.
Hamdan also said that Sarawak is the most active in community outreach programmes, “turun padang” programmes, Community Emergency Response Team (Cert) programmes, and many more.
“It is the prize that we get on the impact and the outcome of these community programmes. Thus, the awareness on fire prevention is achieved and people will have the knowledge where they are able to assist the Bomba by applying the fire prevention methods they have learnt.
“Besides, it is also in line with the national community policy so they can also be a citizen life saver. We (Bomba) are not able to be at the scene in a split second as we are not ‘Superman’ but with such a community having basic knowledge of firefighting and prevention, they are able to respond and help in many ways,” he said.
Also present were Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department director Khirudin Drahman and assistant director (fire operations and rescue division) Tiong Ling Hii.
