RM13 bln property saved from fires in 2020

KUALA LUMPUR: The Fire and Rescue Department (FRD) saved RM13 billion worth of property from fires last year compared to RM48 billion in 2019.

FRD director-general Datuk Seri Mohammad Hamdan Wahid said the sharp drop of 72.9 per cent was due to the low number of firerelated distress calls after the Covid19 pandemic hit the country.

‘'This positive development is also recorded in the key performance indicator's (KPI) response time of under 10 minutes, an increase of 5.97 per cent from 53.12 per cent in 2019 to 59 per cent in 2020.

“This was followed by the National Average Response Time of 11.59 minutes, up by 18 per cent compared to 14.14 minutes in 2019,” he said in FRD's 2021 annual message yesterday.

He said in 2020, FRD received 124,596 emergency calls, encompassing 71,588 or 57.4 per cent rescue cases, fire (38,865 or 31.2 per cent) and special tasks (13,903 or 11.2 per cent).

‘'There was a 6.4 per cent increase in emergency calls in 2020 compared to 117,065 emergency calls in 2019.

“In addition, 118 deaths from fire incidents and 198 deaths from drownings were recorded last year, a drop compared to 121 deaths from fires and 232 deaths from drownings in 2019,'' he said.

He said 88.02 per cent of premises had fire certificates and 12,400 firefighting examinations were conducted in 2020.

Mohammad Hamdan said FRD was involved in implementing 17,585 Covid-19 related operations since the pandemic was detected in February until December 31 last year.

‘'The operations encompassed, namely, seven humanitarian and disaster aid missions,1,375 evacuations of victims, 65 disinfecting epicentre areas or disinfections of Patients Under Investigation (PUI) and Patients Under Surveillance (PUS), 13,220 public area sanitisation, three funeral arrangements, 214 quarantine centre fire safety inspections and others (2,701),'' he said.

He also said 55 firemen were confirmed Covid-19 positive to date while a fireman succumbed to the virus last year.

For 2021, Mohammad Hamdan said RM169 million has been approved to continue projects and for new ones including the construction of four fire stations, two staff quarters, a state FRD headquarters and an airbase.