Rural areas must have volunteer firefighters — director
KOTA KINABALU: Villagers and communities, especially in rural areas and water villages, are encouraged to set up and be part of the community volunteer firefighters.
Sabah Fire and Rescue Director Nordin Pauzi said the setting up and having volunteer firefighters in residential areas is of paramount importance following the recent fire incident that destroyed close to 100 houses and leaving more then 1,000 people homeless at Kampung Gas in Sandakan on June 27.
“The fire incident at Kampung Gas in Sandakan is proof of the importance of having volunteer firefighters in rural areas, villages and water villages.
“It is not only the matter of setting up volunteer firefighters, but we need them, the community to be part of the system.
“Because they (volunteer firefighters) will always be at the scene before our men arrive, they play an important role in helping to first prevent a fire from happening, from spreading to adjoining houses and helping in emergency evacuation.
“Besides being the first at the scene, they also have a better knowledge of the landscape and will be able to direct fire engines and Fire and Rescue personnel of the appropriate route to take to reach the scene,” he said after attending the Kelab Keselamatan Kebakaran Kanak-kanak (Kelab 3K) at Komplex Asia City here yesterday.
Nordin added that the department had organised numerous programs to counter fire incidents especially at water villages by setting up volunteer firefighters, fire safety campaigns and providing fire safety equipment.
“One of the initiatives that we plan to take it to provide houses to each water village with a fire extinguisher.
“We are also working closely with other government agencies and departments to ensure that water village houses are not built too close to one another, having an appropriate walkway and more water hydrants,” he said.
Touching on the Kelab 3K program yesterday, Nordin said the program was a platform to acknowledge kindergartens and pre-schools that had set up the 3K club in exposing children of the danger and ways to prevent a fire from happening in the first place.
“The program, in collaboration with the State Education Department and Queen Elizabeth Hospital, is to provide awareness, basic knowledge and understanding to children of the danger of fire and ways to avoid it from happening in the first place.
“We also hope that through such a program, it may spark some interest to the children in becoming a firefighter in the future,” said Nordin.