By: Christopher Lidom
KUCHING, Dec 31: Minister of Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development (KWKPK) Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah hopes that the Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department’s (Bomba) senior staff position can be elevated to a higher grade.
According to Fatimah, firefighters in their line of work have contributed more than just saving lives and properties, but also doing other special tasks such as catching animals and many others.
“For this, it is right that Bomba should be given recognition accordingly by grading their senior officers, from the director position and downward, a higher grade,” said Fatimah in her speech when attending the Bomba Sarawak Monthly assembly held at Sarawak Bomba headquarters here today.
At the same time, Fatimah said her ministry will continue its strategic partnership with the Sarawak Bomba in sharing information on any disaster victims in need of help.
She noted this is because whenever incidents occurred, Bomba will be the first one to be alerted by the public and the ministry, through the Social Welfare Department (JKM) really need such information fast in order to deploy their officers to the scene to assist the victims.
“This is important whenever there is a mishap occurrence such as landslide, floods, thunderstorms, wild animals attack and many others, we, in the welfare department need to go down to the scene to provide immediate assistance to the needy,” she added.
Meanwhile, state bomba director Khirudin Drahman said Sarawak recorded a decrease in the number of fire cases with a total of 1,627 cases, compared to 7,339 cases last year while 78 per cent of firefighters tasks in the state involved rescue operation.
He said that bomba saved a total of RM563,314,505.90 (93.31 per cent) worth of properties from going up in smoke while losses stood at RM46,892,225.00.
“For this year, only 15 cases of longhouse fire was recorded as compared to 21 cases last year, and from this 15 cases, five of the longhouses were put out by the Bomba Community teams, where they responded in the first five minute of the incidents. This is what contributed to the decreased amount of loss,” he noted.
At the same time Khirudin also suggested that all the state constituencies should have their own Bomba community teams so that the local folks can respond faster to any incidents, especially fire.
“If every constituency in the state can form their own Bomba Community teams and programs, this will be an advantage,” he said. –DayakDaily.
