Two tragedies make 2018 sad year for Fire and Rescue Dept
KUALA LUMPUR: The year 2018 has been tragic for the Fire and Rescue Department.
It lost seven firefighters in the line of duty.
Six of the firefighters died during an operation to search for a teenager who had fallen into a mining pool in Taman Putra Perdana, Puchong, Selangor, on Oct 3.
They were Port Klang Fire and Rescue personnel Mohd Fatah Hashim, 34, Izzatul Akma Wan Ibrahim, 32, Mazlan Omarbaki, 25, and Yahya Ali, 24, and Shah Alam Fire and Rescue personnel Adnan Othman, 33, and Muhammad Hifdzul Malik Shaari, 25.
One firefighter, Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim, 24, was severely injured during the riots at Seafield Maha Mariamman Temple in USJ 25, Subang Jaya, on Nov 27. He succumbed to his injuries on Dec 17.
In the Puchong incident, despite being faced with the difficult situation of losing their colleagues in the mining pool, the firefighters continued with the operation until the remains of Muhammad Ilham Fahmy Mohammad Azzam, 17, were found the next day.
The heart-wrenching incident was the first of its kind where so many rescuers lost their lives.
Housing and Local Government Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin said there was an urgent need to review the existing Standard Operating Procedure following the death of the firefighters who were trapped in a whirlpool.
This, she said, included identifying more appropriate techniques suitable to launch rescue operations in various conditions and reduce risks faced by firefighters.
The death of Muhammad Adib at the National Heart Institute ( IJN) triggered an outpouring of grief from Malaysians.
More importantly, it prompted soul-searching over the country’s race relations as people tried to comprehend what transpired in the early hours of that fateful day.
Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad tweeted that he was saddened by Muhammad Adib’s passing, and paid his last respects to the firefighter at the Airod facility in Subang before the remains were flown to Muhammad Adib’s hometown for burial in Kuala Kedah.
Some people said that Muhammad Adib died in a vehicle accident while others said he was assaulted by several rioters.
Dr Mahathir, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and other leaders explained that the riots, over the proposed relocation of the temple, were criminal and not racial in nature. Zuraida, meanwhile, also spoke of the needs of the Fire and Rescue Department, announcing that 240 new fire stations would be built in stages over the next five years.
At present, there are 290 fire stations nationwide comprising 14,000 officers and personnel.
The Department recently took delivery of two Agusta AW189 helicopters worth RM210 million from Agusta Westland Malaysia Sdn Bhd.
This brings to nine the total number of helicopters at the department.