Govt urged to recognise services of firemen

KOTA KINABALU: The government has been urged to give recognition to the services of the Fire and Rescue Department personnel who are the frontliners in putting out fires, especially during the dry season which affects almost the entire country.

Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) Youth chief Mohd Shahril Osin expressed his appreciation to the firemen for their dedication in carrying out their duties in the month of Ramadan and hope they will be rewarded by Allah SWT.

“The firemen who are on duty deserve to be praised and appreciated because they do not complain at all but remain tenacious and persistent in carrying out their responsibilities without the public being aware of their twists and turns and challenges.

“I hope the government will give recognition to the frontliner team for their services as without them, it is possible that many properties will be destroyed by fire incidents,” he said in a statement on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Shahril advised the community in the Beaufort district to immediately stop open burning activities because it can cause a bigger fire, thus creating air pollution and destruction.

“If there is a big fire, it will certainly put a big burden on the firemen in this district, especially in the month of Ramadan,” he stressed.

Therefore, he appealed to the public to be sensitive and sympathetic towards the members who are on duty during the fasting month where they have to put out intentional fires while there are many other emergency cases that need attention.

“Don’t take small fires lightly because with the current weather conditions coupled with the wind, it will certainly cause the fire to spread quickly, especially in dry areas, and it will be more challenging for fire engines to not be able to enter the peat swamp area.

“Therefore let us be a concerned society by avoiding doing harmful things especially in the month of fasting to jointly take care of the environment to ensure the survival of wildlife in this district,” he said.

The community is also urged to understand the current situation where the drought has caused the water supply source to decrease and the situation also has an impact on efforts to extinguish fires.

“Don’t make this a habit every time there is a drought by doing open burning because that action causes trouble for many parties.

“Remember, haze can bring harm to health and it is best to take care of your health throughout Ramadan,” he said.