By Nancy Nais
KUCHING, May 18: Two new Aerial Ladder Platform (ALP) fire trucks have finally reached Sarawak’s Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba).
Being the last state in the country to receive them, on April 22, each of these beasts cost about RM4 million. They are now parked at the Tabuan Jaya fire and rescue station.
Scheduled to start operation on June 1, state Bomba director Khirudin Drahman said the two assets would enhance their fire and rescue operations.
The primary use of the ALP is to fight a fire from above the incident, and it is done by means of a water turret mounted in the cage.
“Therefore, the ALP is definitely useful, especially when it comes to high rise buildings as it is flexible and capable of rotating 360 degrees. The ALP ladder can reach up to 14 floors. Hence, with this machine, we can create a `water curtain’ and ‘fire break’ for areas that are difficult to access,” he said during ‘breaking of fast’ with about 120 officers from Zone 1 and 30 orphans from Pertubuhan Kebajikan dan Pendidikan Nur Murni.
The gathering was jointly organised by the Commonwealth Journalist Association (CJA) and Sarawak Energy Bhd (SEB) recently.
The ALP will also be used for rescuing people from certain types of incidents.
It is also easier to operate compared to the current turntable ladder that can only be moved in one straight direction.
“As the technology advances year by year, the department’s fire and rescue assets are constantly changing to meet the needs and demands,” Khirudin explained.
Preparations and training for ALP designated drivers are currently being carried out as the final step before the fire trucks are deployed. — DayakDaily
