KUCHING: Throughout 2018, the state Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) received emergency calls that comprised 5807 rescue request calls, 2388 fire care calls, 7703 special service calls and 16 fake calls.
State Bomba director Khirudin Drahman said emergency calls involving rescue operations increased compared to 5,109 cases in 2017.
“These increasing patterns are attributed to the diversity of domestic and industrial accidents, and partly due to natural disasters that are global phenomena today.
“These include workplace accidents, road accidents, recreational accidents and water activities,” he said during the Bomba Annual Parade at Tabuan Jaya Fire Station here, yesterday.
He also said that as for fire cases in 2018 there were 11 structural fire cases involving deaths.
“Based on the records received, the victim consisted of five adult males, one adult woman, one senior citizen, one elderly woman, one disabled man (OKU) and two boys making a total of 11 victims killed in structural fires,” he pointed out.
He said of the total cases involving death, 11 cases of fires were due to accidents.
“Compared to the previous year, in 2017, there were seven structural fire cases involving deaths that were recorded with nine victims altogether.
“In view of structural fire statistics in 2017 and 2018, there was a decrease in estimated fire losses. In 2017 total losses amounted to RM 83,096,507.04 compared to RM 77,606,319.10 loss in 2018. This shows a decrease of seven percent.
“However, the estimated cost of rescue in 2017 amounted to RM 206,916,525.96 as compared to the 2018 figure which was RM 627,866,705.90, thereby indicating an increase in rescued assets of RM420,950,179.94 (67%),” he said.
Khirudin also said prevention is the best strategy in Fire Safety.
“To reduce fire hazard, 3,737 premises were inspected in 2018 and 969 Notices of Fire Hazard Removal were issued for various types of fire hazards,” he added.
During the parade ceremony, a total of 22 media practitioners also received appreciation certificates from the state Bomba.
