1 Home 1 Fire Extinguisher being aggressively promoted
KENINGAU: State Fire and Rescue Department director Haji Nordin Pauzi said his department is adopting an aggressive approach so that the concept of 1RAPI is implemented in all houses in the state.
He said this was an early fire prevention initiative to ensure the fire will not spread before the arrival of the fire department to the scene.
“1RAPI or 1 Home 1 Fire Extinguisher is being developed throughout the state, besides the establishment of the Community Fire Team,” he told reporters at the launch of the Fire Safety Awareness Campaign here yesterday, which was launched by Assistant Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry cum Liawan assemblyman, Datuk Haji Sairin Karno.
“We are confident when there is a fire extinguisher in every home and a basic knowledge to eradicate fire, this would help to at least ensure that the fire will not spread before the arrival of the fire department personnel, and this is the target,” he said.
He said the 1RAPI was being aggressively promoted in Sabah because most houses in the state are far away from a fire station, so every house should have an early preparation.
According to Sairin, this will be expanded throughout Malaysia but Sabah has shown great success.
On the campaign, he said, the department has made special inspections, especially during festive seasons of the country, including this year’s Chinese New Year celebration.
“During this festive period, we focus on shopping complexes and hotel premises, as this is where the focus of society is for shopping and so on.
“Fire Department personnel have gone down to conduct fire safety checks during every festivities and 102 inspections of shopping centres, two of gathering places and 15 of hotels were made last year throughout the state of Sabah.
“This year, inspection is still in the process because Chinese New Year is not held yet. There are about 200 overall premises each year that we focus on during the festive seasons,” he said.
He hoped the campaign would assist the fire department and the community at large.
He said there were nine community fire team created in the villages in this area where officers of this department would come to teach basic things like the use of fire extinguishers.
“The establishment of the Community Fire Team will be expanded in the state and this is the purpose of this campaign,” he said.