SIBU: The Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) will station 186 auxiliary firefighters (PBB) at 12 fire and rescue stations throughout the state this year.
Its director, Senior Assistant Commissioner of Fire Khirudin Drahman, said that, for starters, 32 PBB who had just completed the 10-day accreditation course at the Sungai Merah Fire and Rescue Station here, would be placed in 11 fire and rescue stations in Sarawak.
He said the PBB would be combined with full-time firemen (PSM) and this would strengthen the personnel available at state fire and rescue stations in providing more services to the community.
“These auxiliary firefighters comprised locals who are knowledgeable and skilled in the topography where they are on duty and will certainly facilitate the search and rescue of people missing in the jungle and rivers.
“According to observations two to three years ago, the auxiliary firefighters were very helpful especially in terms of their ability to carry out search and rescue work,” he told reporters after the closing of the 1/2018 series 32-hour accreditation course at Sungai Merah Fire and Rescue Station.
He said recruitment and training involving a large number of participants would be done at the Sarawak Region Malaysia Fire and Rescue Academy in Bau.
Khirudin said, besides the PBB, fire stations in Sarawak were also strengthened with voluntary firemen and community firefighting teams.
He said the response of local residents in Sarawak to become an auxiliary firefighters was very encouraging and would continue in the future. Locals would be given priority in the selection as they had topographical knowledge and skills in their respective places.
“Actually JBPM Sarawak plans to recruit 1,300 PBB under the 1:1 ratio between the PBB and PSM but it depends on the state’s financial position,” he explained.
He also said he would ask the contractor to speed up work on the Daro Fire and Rescue Station, which was now 90% completed, to be ready by the end of this year, while the Samalaju Fire and Rescue Station was expected to be operational by Dec 1 this year. — Bernama
