Indiscipline among Bomba men to be checked, says state director

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WELL-DONE: Recipients of the excellence and long service awards with Nor Hisham (seated fourth left) flanked on his right by Anuar and Farbu.

LIMBANG: Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) Sarawak has recorded a slight increase in disciplinary cases among its men, and is taking steps to check the decline.

State director Nor Hisham Mohammad said 10 disciplinary cases were reported this year from nine last year. They mostly involved failure to report for duty and one case of power abuse.

“We advise our personnel with poor discipline and abusing drugs to go for early rehabilitation,” he said.

Nor Hisham said this at the presentation of certificates for long service awards to those who had served 30 years, and excellent service awards to nine recipients in Limbang Zone yesterday.

Five received awards for outstanding performance.

Similar excellent service awards were presented to recipients in Kuching Zone in April and Sibu, Bintulu and Miri in May.

Nor Hisham said it was worrying that the younger generation lacked the commitment of the older generation in adhering to the culture of accuracy, mutual respect and looking after assets of the department. “This culture is declining to a worrying level, and it must be revived among members across the board.”

He said rising public expectations demand that Bomba personnel respond speedily and accurately to any complaint, and the department must be sensitive to such a working environment.

“We cannot run away from the situation but step up our training, competency and fitness,” he said.

Nor Hisham said the implementation of the Body Mass Index (BMI) for all personnel is the benchmark for the required level of fitness in an operation, and those who fail to meet the mark or had health problems would not be promoted.

He hoped the government would increase by eight the quota of divers for Sarawak as the present 32 divers were being stretched too thinly to meet the challenges of drowning cases or river rescue work.

Among those present at the function were Limbang Zone chief Anuar Shadzat Merdzuki, Limbang Station chief Awang Mohamad Farbu Abdul Hamid and Lawas Station chief Zaki Hussin.