Mohammad (seated centre) poses for a group photo with members of the organising committee and participants of the summer camp.
MIRI: it is suggested that the annual summer camp organised by Fire and Rescue Department (Zone 6) here and Petronas Carigali Sdn Bhd be turned into a state programme.
The camp which is in its fifth year, seeks to ensure that fire-related knowledge can be communicated to the community to be applied in the event of a fire outbreak.
Due to its success, Bomba director-general Mohammad Hamdan Wahid said it was high time organisers come up with a more comprehensive paperwork for discussion with the Sarawak government to turn the camp into a state programme, complete with the necessary assistance.
“We are looking at presenting a more comprehensive paper to the Sarawak government, for discussion on ways they can help and the part we can play.
“We look forward to assistance from the government to help us continue with the programme. It has been proven that since its inception in 2014, participants have saved several longhouses in Miri Division from being gutted by fire,” Mohammad told reporters after officiating at the closing ceremony of 2018 Summer Camp at Eastwood Valley Golf and Country Club here yesterday.
“Rumah Egang Sami at Sg Selepin in Bakong which caught fire last month was one of longhouses saved by their Emergency Response Team members, who were participants of this programme.
“They were trained to tackle a fire before firefighters arrived.. Without the proper knowledge and skills, I believe they would just panic,” he added.
Mohammad said Sarawak is unique for many of its longhouses located in the interior.
“Hence, for fire and rescue services to be more effective there is the need to improve equipment and machinery that can access these rural areas.”
He added that they were hoping to discuss with Malaysian Fire Protection Association to design an active system at longhouses, such as installing low-cost sprinklers which would automatically be triggered in the event of a fire.
“This will require expense and hence, with help from the Sarawak government and corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes such as this, it will help to ease our burden in terms of cost to design the system,” he said.
Mohammad meanwhile commended the organisers for their smart and fruitful collaboration for the security of the people.
About 50 community leaders from Miri, Lawas, Lambir, Marudi, Telang Usan and Mulu whose longhouses are located along the Petronas Sabah Sarawak Gas Pipeline (SSGP) took part in the three-day programme, which ended yesterday.
Bomba Sarawak director Khirudin Drahman, Zone 6 Bomba chief Law Poh Kiong and Sarawak Oil – Malaysia Assets (Upstream) PCSB head Anuar Ismail were among those present.