KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 27 – The Kuala Lumpur Fire and Rescue Department is to undertake preventive patrols in the federal capital during the Chinese New Year period next month. Its director, Khiruddin Drahman, said on Tuesday the patrols would be conducted from a week before and up to a week after the festival, which falls on Feb 8 and 9.
“18 fire and rescue stations under the jurisdiction of the department would carry out the patrols, from 9am to 6am the following day. We will conduct the patrols every four hours during the day and every two years at night. One truck and at least eight personnel will make up the team in every patrol,” he said.
Khiruddin spoke to reporters after launching the Fire Awareness Campaign in conjunction with Chinese New Year 2016 and the department’s monthly assembly, here Tuesday. He said ‘ceramah’ (talks), exhibitions and training on fire-fighting would be held to create greater awareness in the people on the importance of fire safety.
“The people must ensure that electrical appliances such as air-conditioners and computers are switched off. They must not be left switched on for more than 72 hours when no one is at home. The department received 3,532 emergency calls in 2015, and they comprised 1,630 calls to put out fires and 1,902 calls for other assistance,” Khiruddin said.
“The number was a drop of 5.1 per cent compared to the calls in 2014. The damage caused by fires also dropped, by 17.3 per cent, from RM61 million in 2014 to RM50 million last year. Meanwhile, wo fire and rescue stations were opened last year, namely the Sentul Fire and Rescue Stationj and the Jalan Tun Razak Fire and Rescue Station,” he said.
Also last year, he said they had been received new assets, among them 13 Emergency Medical Rescue Service (EMRS) units, two 20,000-litre water tankers and seven five-tonne and three-tonne utility lorries. In Seremban, the Negeri Sembilan Fire and Rescue Department has stationed five prime mover water tankers at strategic locations and beefed up personnel strength in facing the El Nino phenomenon that is seeing higher temperatures.
Its director, Norazam Khamis, said the 20,000-litre water tankers had been stationed at the fire and rescue stations in Nilai, Seremban 2, Simpang Pertang, Rembau and Gemas.
“The 20,000-litre water tankers had been stationed at the fire and rescue stations in Nilai, Seremban 2, Simpang Pertang, Rembau and Gemas. We have also increased the number of personnel, with 52 of them stationed at four stations, namely Jelebu, Bahau, Gemas and Rembau. We have also increased the number of volunteer firemen by adding on two more teams to make it 17 altogether,” Negeri Sembilan Fire and Rescue Departmen director, Norazam Khamis said.
He told this to the reporters at the department’s annual assembly. According to statistics, 1,644 fires were recorded in Negeri Sembilan last year. In Ipoh, the Perak Fire and Rescue Department said it had adequate equipment and personnel to face the dry weather during the ongoing El Nino phenomenon.
Its director, Datuk Yahya Madis, said that the department had made all the necessary arrangements to handle the situation. In Labuan, the Labuan Fire and Rescue Department also said that it was bracing for a long dry spell brought on by the El Nino phenomenon.
Its director, Zainal Madasin, said that with 140 personnel and 20,000-litre water tankers, the department should be able to response to any fire. He said forest and bush fires formed the bulk of the cases, at 232, last year, followed by fires at buildings and other cases.
