High time for FRD to get its own bombardier CL-415
KUCHING: The amphibious aircraft Bombardier CL-415 should be included in the asset procurement list of the Fire and Rescue Department (FRD) to add strength to their aerial firefighting capabilities, suggests the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA).
Its director-general Maritime Admiral Datuk Mohd Zubil Mat Som said currently, there were only two of such aircraft in Malaysia, both owned by the MMEA to patrol the country’s maritime areas.
Hoping that the procurement of the assets could be announced during the upcoming Budget 2020 for the Fire and Rescue Department, Mohd Zubil said the aircraft, which have been under the purview of the MMEA since 2007, had proved to be efficient in firefighting, and would be a really good investment for the FRD.
“Two (of the aircraft) are enough for the MMEA, maybe, if I can suggest that it would be better for the Fire and Rescue Department to own the aircraft, because it is their duty to put out fires, we can concentrate on enforcement at sea, but in this case (firefighting operation in Sri Aman) no one could carry out the water bombing (besides us). We just helped out, when we’re called, we’ll help.
“Because that is not our role and task (putting out fires), we want to focus on enforcement at sea, if a ship is hijacked, if there is a fire on board a ship at sea, these two (aircraft) would be used,” he said during a press conference here yesterday.
MMEA is currently providing one of its aircraft to assist in putting out forest and peat soil fires in Sri Aman, near here.
Mohd Zubil said that since MMEA had operated the aircraft for years, the agency would not mind extending help in training new pilots from the FRD, in case the government decided to procure the asset.
“In terms of training we don’t have an issue, our pilots can train them,” he said.
He added that Malaysia was currently the only country in South East Asia, if not all Asian countries, to own the Canadian made aircraft, which had also been used to help out firefighting operations in Indonesia. – Bernama