MARANG, 16 Feb 2018:
Residents of strata-titled properties, particularly in urban areas, have been advised to set up their very own firefighting teams to expedite preventive measures in the event of a fire or emergency situations.
Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Minister Tan Sri Noh Omar said the teams would also assist the Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) achieve its Key Performance Indicator (KPI), namely to arrive at the scene within 10 minutes, whereby the department had achieved 50% of the KPI at the moment.
“This is because we can see that most of the fire-extinguishing equipment in low and medium-cost flats in urban areas have gone, not like how it looked like when they first moved into the buildings.
“As such, we advise them to set up their respective volunteer firefighting teams and we will give them a complete equipment to prevent fire at early stage.”
Commenting further, Noh said JBPM is now implementing various initiatives to beef up the volunteer firefighters – whose number currently stood at 15,000. These initiatives include amending the Fire Services Act 1988, to enable the department to monitor and regulate its activities in a more effective manner.
“The Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Najib Razak) has also announced RM10 million in allocation for the purchase of fire engines for the teams when tabling the 2018 Budget last October.”
He added that 20 new fire stations would be operating nationwide this year, whereby there would be a vacancy for 900 new posts.
– Bernama