Part 2 of a three-part series
Do you know that the State Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) air unit at the Sarawak Regional Air Base Bomba Malaysia in Miri is playing an important role in battling the Covid-19 pandemic in Sarawak?
It is busy helping Sarawak to achieve its target of vaccinating 80 percent of its population against the virus by this month by delivering the vaccines to remote settlements in the state’s vast interior.
Senior Fire Supt II and commander of Sarawak Regional Air Base Bomba Malaysia, Robert James said that the air unit was working closely with the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) and Ministry of Health (MOH) to deliver the Covid-19 vaccines to the rural communities in Sarawak, especially in Miri, Limbang and Kapit.
He said from June 3 until Aug 20, the air unit had successfully covered 33 locations, namely, 26 for the delivery of vaccines and seven for food assistance. Among the locations covered were Bario, Mulu, Ba’ Kelalan, Long Bedian, Long Liaw, Long Sukang and Long Kevok.
“Despite the challenges of reaching the respective locations while ensuring that the Covid-19 vaccines remain in pristine condition, there is no obstacle too great or challenge too difficult for the air unit.
“The air unit has clocked in 123.3 hours of flying or 57 sorties as of August 20. Come rain or shine, the air unit has safely delivered a total of 23,352 doses of the Covid-19 vaccines thus far,” he added.
Robert explained that the aircrew consisted of a pilot, a co-pilot, an air quartermaster (AQM) and two officers from Pasukan Khas Udara Bomba (Paskub).
“For the vaccine delivery operations, there are usually two or three MOH staff on board to hand over the vaccine supplies to the vaccination centre (PPV) nurses or medical assistants on standby at the respective locations,” he said.
“After being informed by the SDMC, we will have to go through the documentation process to get approval from the headquarters before we can carry out the task the next day.
“We will plan the flight route and calculate the duration of the flight because we have to calculate our fuel consumption. The fuel is one of the main concerns because it will affect the weight of the cargo and number of passengers the helicopter can accommodate.
“We also have to check the weather forecast. It is important to look at the wind moisture and temperature as these can affect the flight in some way such as causing visibility issues, turbulence and overall performance. If the weather does not permit, we will not proceed but continue the flight the next day,” he explained.
He added that the air unit would get in touch with a contact person at the respective locations to ask about the conditions at the landing areas.
The delivery of vaccines to the interior of Sarawak. 
The delivery of vaccines to the interior of Sarawak.
Robert said the air unit must be extra cautious in carrying out the vaccine delivery operations.
“Apart from ensuring the safety of all on board the aircraft, the safety of the precious cargo is also very crucial.
“There are a number of safety and precautionary measures that the aircrew and passengers must observe. For instance, they must embark and disembark from the aircraft accordingly and in a proper manner.
“In addition to that, we also pay close attention to the landing surfaces and areas. The landing surfaces must be solid and in good condition. If they are uneven or muddy, it will be unstable and dangerous for us to land,” he added.
The helicopter winching technique. 
The helicopter winching technique. 
The helicopter winching technique.
Robert recalled that the air crew had to do helicopter winching in five rural areas, namely, Long Jegan, Long Teru, Ulu Teru, Long Teran and Long Loyang which were badly affected by floods in July.
He explained that winching was the process of lowering down or picking up a person using the sling attached to the winch of the helicopter.
“It requires the pilot to maintain a very good and steady hover to ensure the crew can get down safely. The air crew is very fortunate to have an aircraft that can do winching,” he said.
Meanwhile, Deputy Senior Fire Supt II Sharizal Sahari, who is based in the Bomba Malaysia Northern Region Air Base in Bertam, Pulau Penang, admitted that piloting aircraft in Sarawak was more challenging than in Malaya.
Despite the challenges, he is proud to be involved in the vaccine delivery exercise in Sarawak.
He said most of the areas in Malaya were accessible by road.
“We only have to navigate the Titiwangsa mountains which are familiar to us. But in Sarawak, there are different types of terrains and the weather changes fast here.
“Delivering the vaccines to Long Kevok was rather difficult because of these. Nonetheless, I have made prior preparation and all risks were calculated to ensure that the aircrew, passengers, helicopter and precious cargo arrive safely on locations and all of us could return home safely,” he explained.
Apart from doing heroic acts in the event of emergencies to save the lives of those in danger, Bomba and its air unit are also busy saving lives during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The helicopter hangar at the Sarawak Regional Air Base Bomba Malaysia in Miri. 
The view from the helicopter’s cockpit during a delivery journey.
