Construction of Niah Fire Station to begin soon

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MIRI: An earth-breaking ceremony for the Niah Fire Station project will be held on Aug 26.

Assistant Minister of Early Childhood Education and Family Development Rosey Yunus, who is Bekenu assemblywoman, said the project costing RM5.5 million would serve Niah, Suai and Bekenu.

“We have been requesting for a fire station to be built in our constituency many times and only now the dream of the people is being realised,” she told a press conference after launching the 2015 Summer Camp Programme yesterday.

Rosey said Niah, Suai and Bekenu currently depend on the Miri Fire Station, which is too far away to save longhouses in the areas affected by fire.

“Thus we are hopeful that the construction of this fire station in Niah would help minimise the number of casualties and also cost in damages,” she said.

Fire and Rescue Department state director Nor Hisham Mohammad said the new station will have 12 permanent firefighters, a station chief and an assistant station chief.

It would also recruit 12 locals, who will be paid an allowance.

“We expect this new station would be completed within 18 months from the date of submission of the site (to the developer), shortly after the ground breaking ceremony,” he said.

Nor Hisham added that the station would be equipped with two fire engines and two rescue boats.

“We are also applying for a fire brigade ambulance service, considering the position of the station, which is on the inner side of the coastal road,” he said.