Over 15,000 damaged fire hydrants nationwide need to be replaced — Bomba DG
KUANTAN: A total of 15,724, out of 422,472 fire hydrants nationwide have been found to be damaged and need to be replaced, said Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) director-general Datuk Nor Hisham Mohammad.
He said that based on last year’s inspection report, among the damage that occurred were fire hydrants paved with tar; filled with soil or sand; leaking due to broken or blocked pipes; and having broken, tight or nonfunctioning valve spindles.
“These are four main types of damage which require high maintenance provision, namely maintenance work involving fire hydrant chambers, valves, outlet threads and poles, and also upgrading underground fire hydrants to above-ground fire hydrants.
“For minor fire hydrant damage such as the chamber being filled with sand, soil or rubbish, firemen who conduct inspections and tests will continue to clean the hydrants to ensure they are clean and good for use at any time,” he said.
Nor Hisham said this to reporters after officiating the 2023 Pahang Bomba Excellent Service Award ceremony, here yesterday.
He said that the cost of maintenance for a damaged fire hydrant unit is estimated to be between RM1,000 and RM5,000, depending on the location.
The department, he added, now inspects fire hydrants three times a year, especially within a radius of seven kilometres from the city centre, to ensure they can function in the event of a fire.
In another development, Nor Hisham said Bomba has made preliminary preparations to prevent forest fires, especially in peatland, due to the continuous hot and dry weather currently hitting the country.
“We are now expected to face dry weather, and open burning activities can also cause big problems, namely forest fires. We have asked all the state Bomba to work with relevant parties, including plantation owners, to stop open burning,” he said. — Bernama