By Nancy Nais
MIRI, May 5: The East Malaysia Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba)’s K9 units in Serian (Sarawak) and Tuaran (Sabah) may soon have canines trained for Urban Disaster (UD).
Both Sabah and Sarawak K9 units currently have capabilities to carry out three types of disciplines, namely fire investigation (FI), search and rescue (SAR) wilderness and SAR cadaver, with two dogs trained for each discipline.
Bomba operations division director Datuk Abdul Wahab Mat Yasin said the Bomba K9 unit in Kuala Lumpur, which covers the whole of Peninsular Malaysia has four complete disciplines, and therefore they will plan to equip East Malaysia with an UD team.
When a disastrous event such as a collapsed building or landslide occurs, these trained UD dogs are deployed to help locate and remove any missing or trapped victims in rubble.
Speaking to reporters after attending the department’s operational monitoring programme and briefing with the K9 unit, Air Wing unit, Ministry of Housing and Local Government (KPKT) and state treasury personnel, Abdul Wahab said the department will forward the plans to headquarters.
During the briefing, Deputy Director-General (Development) Datuk Soiman Jahid acknowledged that dogs have a very special role in SAR operations, as their keen sense of smell, enhanced hearing, sharp vision and endurance have continually proven to be invaluable in efforts to locate missing, lost and injured persons.
Because of their extraordinary abilities, dogs are often able to reduce the time spent on searching.
The officials present at the programme also had the opportunity to accompany and witness SAR wilderness K9 Daisy with her handler Dominic Bahong Micky taking part in a rescue mission simulation by winching down from a MI171 helicopter. — DayakDaily
