By Nancy Nais
BINTULU, April 6: Several longhouses in Ulu Sebauh recently received fire extinguishers from the Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) as a first line of defence.
However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic and standard operating procedures, firefighters did not enter the longhouses to present the fire extinguishers.
Instead, village chiefs or ‘tuai rumah’ greeted the team who arrived on three boats from Bintulu at their respective jetties.
State Bomba director PKPjB Khirudin Drahman disclosed that this time round, the department gave 20 units to eight longhouses namely Rh Singa, Rh Raymond, Rh Saging, Rh Sta, Rh Kamarudin, Rh William, Rh Yus and Rh Renga situated along the Kamena river in Ulu Sebauh.
“Tragedies involving fires at longhouses are devastating and it effects the whole community because they typically involve more than one household. Having built beautiful longhouses equipped with electricity supply, it is crucial for these villagers to take good care of their homes.
“We repeatedly advised them through their village head to look after their properties and not let them burn. At the same time, we give them fire extinguishers as part of their equipment in case of emergency,” Khirudin told DayakDaily after the event.
Prior to this, Khirudin said Bomba officers have visited these villages before to conduct fire prevention programmes, which he hoped could further educate those living in remote areas.
He reiterated that the department was concerned and serious about taking care of the communities in far flung regions.
Pointing out that most longhouse fires were caused by human negligence, Khirudin believed that this was one of the ways to assist the community and instill the value of safety and security in the longhouses. — DayakDaily
