Juma’ani hands the Covid-19 kit to Bomba Sibu Central Station chief Abdul Mutalif Jaafar (second right) while (from right) Temenggong Datuk Wan Hamid Edruce Tuanku Mohamad, Khirudin, Bomba Zone 4 chief Janggan Muling (behind Juma’ani) and others look on.
SIBU: Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) Sarawak has shifted into high gear and is ready to face the possibility of year-end floods.
Its state director Khirudin Drahman said instructions had been issued to all zone and station chiefs to get ready their assets and logistics.
“Officers’ leave is in the process of being frozen except for urgent ones.
“Water rescue training and usage of boats have been conducted, as well as visit to local evacuation centres (PPS),” he said.
Khirudin told reporters this after the handing of Covid-19 kit by Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg’s wife Datuk Amar Juma’ani Tun Tuanku Bujang at Bomba Sibu Central Station yesterday.
Commenting further, the director said the issue is how to tackle the number of victims in PPS if there is flooding so as to comply with the standard operating procedure (SOP) against Covid-19.
“We (Bomba) had been tested in the recent floods in Kapit. There was good cooperation from the local community on SOP compliance including social distancing,” Khirudin said.
On another matter, he informed that a total of 1,799 public sanitisations had been carried out across Sarawak until Wednesday.
He disclosed that last week, the department flew a medical team from Ministry of Health by helicopter to Long Dalih and northern Sarawak to do swab tests.
As for disaster relief, he said a total of 165 missions had been carried out across the state, mostly related to transportation of victims using Emergency Medical Rescue Services (EMRS) ambulance, delivering of food using helicopter and lorries as well as transporting students returning from Peninsular Malaysia.
At the same time, he urged the public not to let their guard down against Covid-19.
“I urge members of the public to continue giving attention to the SOP provided by the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) and government to break the chain of Covid-19 infection,” he advised.
Earlier, Khirudin thanked KTS, Petronas and Pansar for assisting them with the distribution of equipment for public sanitisation.