‘Fire’ on RMN vessel put out quickly

KUANTAN: Smoke billowed from a Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) patrol vessel here.

But the “fire” was quickly put out by RMN personnel and firemen.

It was a drill to test the preparedness of rescuers and coordination of different teams in combating fire emergencies on board RMN ships at the base.

RMN Kuantan Naval Region 1 commander Rear Admiral Datuk Mohamad Adib Abdul Samad said in an effort to prevent fires on RMN ships in Kuantan Port, a Risk Assessment and Risk Control (Hirarc) system has been set up.

“It is to ensure the safety measures on all eight navy vessels at the base in Tanjung Gelang here are always observed,” he added.

Each ship has five RMN officers who are Hirarc members. They will monitor the vessel’s physical condition and emergency measures that need to be carried out during a fire.

“The officers are to report immediately to the operations centre at the base and we will act according- ly,” Rear Admiral Mohamad Adib said after attending the fire drill at the base yesterday.

He said the drill was held to update the coordination of different departments involved in emergency situations at the RMN base.

In the drill, a small fire was set off inside KD Perkasa.

Quick action by about 100 Navy personnel and those from other agencies, including Kuantan Port Consortium, Gebeng Fire and Rescue Department, helped to contain the fire within an hour.