Do more for our brave firefighters
THE whole nation is saddened by the death of fireman Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim.
Together with his family members, fiancee and colleagues, Malaysians from all walks of life are also mourning the loss of the first firefighter attacked in the line of duty.
I would like to express my heartfelt condolences to Adib’s family members and to the Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department (Jabatan Bomba dan Penyelamat Malaysia or JBPM).
Adib, 24, fought for his life for 21 days before succumbing to his injuries at 9.41pm on Monday.
It was the second tragic loss for the department after six of its divers died while searching for a drowned teenager at a mining pond in Puchong, Selangor, in October.
Adib’s death is an eye-opener to Malaysians on the risks and challenges faced by our firefighters when dealing with unexpected situations, such as a riot.
Adib was among a group of nine firefighters who responded to a distress call after two cars were set ablaze by rioters at the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple in Subang Jaya, Selangor, on Nov 27.
It was reported that they had rushed there in a fire engine and an emergency medical services vehicle and, upon their arrival, a group of rioters attacked them. Adib was allegedly dragged out of his vehicle and assaulted by the rioters.
We cannot accept any reasons or excuses given for such an irresponsible act. The perpetrators must be arrested and brought to justice.
I hope that an independent and thorough investigation will also be carried out to find out the exact cause of the incident – this is necessary to prevent such occurrences in the future. Such an investigation is also necessary to end all kinds of speculation.
Standard operating procedures should also be introduced so that firefighters faced with a chaotic situation such as a riot are more prepared to cope by taking into account various possibilities that could occur.
Many of us are still unaware or do not understand how risky and unpredictable the tasks and workloads of our firemen are, especially those who are involved in operations other than fire-fighting.
Various reports on their selfless acts have made the Fire and Rescue Department the first choice to contact when the public needs help in accidents and natural disasters such as floods and landslides, as well as when homes have unwanted reptile visitors.
The department is also responsible for enforcing laws relating to safety and fire prevention as well as providing efficient and effective humanitarian services.
To fulfil their objectives, the department has to perform its functions under the law, such as ensuring the existence of fire exits, investigating the causes of fires and providing humanitarian services including protecting the life and properties of victims, including when attending to road accident victims.
The department also needs to perform other tasks entrusted to them by law or as directed by the minister. Therefore, firefighters are frequently involved in search and rescue operations for those who get lost in jungles, and in drowning cases.
The ability of the department’s trained personnel in such operations cannot be disputed, as they have the appropriate equipment such as hydraulic cutting tools to help extricate accident victims in badly mangled vehicles. JBPM also has skilled personnel who help save pets, capture poisonous animals or destroy hornet and bee nests.
However, I believe more could be done to improve their services in the wake of new challenges, such as dousing fire in areas that are affected by conflicts.
They must also be trained to deal with metropolitan fires and disasters, as more and more skyscrapers with new materials are being built in big cities.
In this regard, the government should provide sufficient allocation for human resource development so that the firefighters will have high technical and effective skills to handle any emergency.
Their training modules need to be updated according to the latest developments, and selected personnel should be sent to undergo training and join operations overseas.
Sufficient allocation should also be given to the department for the purchase of advanced machinery and equipment, while the latest personal protective equipment must be provided for its personnel.
I also hope that continuous efforts can be made to improve the workplace and housing facilities of all firemen and their families so that they can focus on work while their families are able to live in a conducive environment.
To help protect them, existing laws, including the Penal Code and the Fire Services Act (Amendment) 2018, must be fully enforced, while the public must be made aware of the consequences of obstructing a fire officer or auxiliary fire officer from performing their duties.
Under Section 51 of the amended Fire Services Act, those who wilfully abuse, assault, disturb, hinder, obstruct or interfere with fire officers, auxiliary fire officers or voluntary fire officers can be fined up to RM50,000 or jailed up to five years, or both.
Under Section 186 of the Penal Code, those who voluntarily obstruct any public servant in the discharge of his public functions can be sentenced to a maximum of two years’ jail or fined RM10,000, or both.
The time has come for us to reward and protect all firemen who are willing to sacrifice their lives to ensure the safety of others, especially in fires and during natural disasters.
The government must also improve the salary scheme and other perks, provide them with incentives, including insurance coverage for the more than 14,000 personnel, as their task is currently more challenging than many other agencies.