SPAOH: Longhouse residents, particularly those in remote rural areas, should form their own voluntary fire fighting squads.
Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas said this was now a real necessity.
“When you are very far away from the nearest Fire and Rescue Department, this is a real necessity. When a fire breaks out, such squad will be very handy.
“We have a recent incidence at a college here in Betong where its fire fighting group was able to assist the Fire and Rescue Department in successfully fighting the blaze,” he said.
He told the media this after closing a fire prevention and fighting programme for members of the village security and development committees, women longhouse bureaus and Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu(PBB) sub branches from 22 longhouses in his Bukit Saban constituency at Rh Johnical Lanyau at Linsom here on Tuesday (April 15).
Uggah who is also chairman of the State Disaster Management Committee said he and Betong MP Datuk Dr Richard Rapu would study the mechanism on how to set up more such squads in Bukit Saban which has 94 longhouses.
“We will study the best approach on the formation and we must ensure, for instance, all assets provided are well taken care of so that they will be functional at all times in order to be very effective.
“We will pool ours and the people’s resources toward this. There must be a sort of control centre where such squads can be immediately contacted.
“Such squads will be registered with the Fire and Rescure Department and they will be the first responders when a fire breaks out,” he added.
Uggah said the squad would be provided with a suitable vehicle, pump engine and hoses.
“The members will be given the necessary training as well,” he said.
On the programme itself at the longhouse Uggah said the objective was to ensure the womenfolk would know what to do when a fire broke out.
“We have given the Rh Lanyau longhouse five sets of fire extinguishers. Since the longhouse is served with water supply from the Betong grid, we will provide the people with hoses as well,”
Earlier Dr Richard said most longhouse fires broke out from the kitchens, stating that electrical short circuits due to unauthorised extensions/wiring were another common cause.
The programme with the cooperation of the Fire and Rescue Department was organised under the chairmanship of Natasha Uggah who is Bukit Saban PBB Women chief.
