LIMBANG, 21 Dec 2017:
Firefighting equipment donated to a rural Sarawak village here in 2015 helped prevent a major disaster two months ago.
“I am very grateful to iM Sarawak for providing us with the firefighting system,” said Rosli Rambli, head at Kampung Seberang Kedai – one of the villages who had received the system in 2015.
“In October of this year, there was a very large fire, which led to four out of 125 houses in our village being burnt down.
“We were extremely fortunate to keep the flames from spreading to the other 121 houses because we used the iM Sarawak Floating Pump Firefighting System to contain the fire while waiting for the fire department to arrive.
“I dread to think what would have happened if we did not have the iM Sarawak Floating Pump at our disposal.”
Another six villages situated along the Limbang River have been presented with iM Sarawak Floating Pump Firefighting System – joining the two other villages given these firefighting systems several years earlier.
Hasbi Habibollah, a member of the 1Malaysia Sarawak Advisory Council said: “A major threat to the lives and homes of the people living in the interior of Sarawak is the potential loss of life and property caused by fire.
“Very often the local fire departments aren’t able to reach these villages in time because they are located in the innermost areas of Sarawak that are geographically challenging to access.”
The iM Sarawak Floating Pump Firefighting System is a firefighting system that consists of a 10.5-horsepower Briggs & Stratton engine, water pump and float.
It is also equipped with 2-inches light canvas hoses and a diffuser nozzle. It draws water from nearby rivers, which ensures that the water supply is continuous.
Weighing in at 45kg, it is light enough to be carried by two people. The iM Sarawak Floating Pump Firefighting System is able produce an optimum 4.4 bar pressure which is sufficient to pump 70 gallons of water per minute with a water jet distance of 26m – enough for villagers to use it from a safe distance from the fire.
Villagers have also been trained by the Limbang Fire and Rescue Department and given protective gear such as hardhats and jackets. This is to ensure their safety while using the firefighting equipment.
The iM Sarawak Floating Pump Firefighting System is a collaborative partnership with Dr Richard Belanda Dagang of Rural Rich Company, Kuching.
iM Sarawak is a social development initiative led by the 1Malaysia Sarawak Advisory Council to help improve the quality of life of various communities throughout the state.