Fire and Rescue prioritizes 10-minute response time
KOTA KINABALU: The State Fire and Rescue Department will continue to prioritized its 10-minute response time in responding to any incident.
Its new director, Kamarulzaman Malik Abdullah said, he would continue to prioritize the 10-minute response time due to the unique geographical landscape of Sabah as compared to other states.
“Due to the unique geographical landscape of Sabah, the ‘response time’ plays an important role in determining whether a rescue operation such as fire or accident has been achieved within the stipulated time frame.
“I realised that Sabah had its share of incidences such as fire in water villages, earthquake, floods, industrial incidents, as well as incidents in urban areas, and that is why we need to review back all these issues with the existing manpower that we have to respond to such emergency in the future,” he said.
Meanwhile, former Sabah Fire and Rescue Department director Nordin Pauzi, who is now the Kuala Lumpur Fire and Rescue Department director said, the ideal response time is less then 10 minutes after an emergency call has been received.
He said among the factors that prevent Fire and Rescue Services personnel from achieving the ideal response time are due to distance and location between fire stations and the scene of the incident.
“Peak hours is also one of the major factors,” he said.
Nordin added that the Sabah Fire and Rescue Department had laid out plans to build fire stations in Putatan and within Kota Kinabalu Industrial Park (KKIP).
Nordin also said that the fire station in Sook is expected to be in operation by end of October or latest early January next year.
Yesterday’s event saw the handing over of the Sabah Fire and Rescue Department director post between Nordin to his successor Kamarulzaman at the State Fire and Rescue headquarters in Kolombong.
Also present were State Fire and Rescue Department deputy director Zuraidah Latip and other senior officers.