KUCHING: The Fire and Rescue Department has been directed to take immediate action in extinguishing forest and bush fires.
The department’s director, Datuk Khirudin Drahman, confirmed that the instruction was made by the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) chairman, Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas.
All assets are on standby and will act promptly to any call of action.
Khirudin said that their helicopter, which is based in Miri, is capable of carrying up to 2,000 litres of water and will be used for water bombing operations in the event of forest or bush fires.
“The department has been facing difficulties in accessing those areas (in Miri) where forest and peat fires are likely to happen. Thus, the helicopter will be very useful in performing the tasks assigned by the SDMC,” he said after officiating at the Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN) Care – Fire Safety Awareness 2023, held at the department’s headquarters in Jalan Setia Raja yesterday.
In addition, the Fire and Rescue Department will receive support from the Natural Resources and Environment Board (NREB) and Naim Group of Companies. They will be utilising heat-detecting drones, flown at night every two hours, to detect any fires or fire activities. The use of these drones will enable the department to detect any fires in real-time and take immediate action to prevent their spread.
