Only 20% of firemen on Raya leave
KOTA KINABALU: Only 20 percent out of 1,000 fire and rescue officers and personnel in Sabah have been granted Hari Raya leave this year.
State Fire and Rescue Services Department's Fire and Rescue Assistant Director Jemros Olin however said that although 200 fire and rescue officers and personnel would be on leave, they are expected to be called back at any time if needed.
“This is to ensure that we have enough manpower during crises situation.
“Our officers and personnel will be working on shifts round the clock and will be on standby in an event of an emergency,” he said at a press conference at the state Fire and Rescue Department headquarters in Lintas yesterday.
The Fire and Rescue Services Department will also inspect premises and shopping malls during the holiday season to ensure all fire safety and evacuation plans are maintained, he said.
Touching on fire incidents during festive celebrations for the past three years, Jemros said there was a 32 percent decline of fire cases from 2014 to 2015, and a drop of 43 percent of fire incidents reported in 2016.
“About 58 fire cases were reported in 2014, and 39 cases in 2015 while only 22 fire incidents were reported in 2016 during festive celebrations.
“This shows that the communities are aware of the danger and ways to prevent fire from happening in the first place.
“We will continue to provide more fire and safety programmes in the future in hopes that it will reach more people, especially in rural areas,” he said.