Marudi rep calls for permanent fire stations in Baram interior as one-size-fits-all criteria don’t work for S’wak

File photo for illustration purposes only. Source: automatic6517/Pixabay

By DayakDaily Team

MARUDI, July 11: Permanent fire stations are urgently needed in the Baram interior, as Sarawak’s vast geography and dispersed settlements continue to hamper emergency response times, says Marudi assemblyman Datuk Dr Penguang Manggil.

Speaking at the closing ceremony of the Komunitiku Sayang Programme Series 7 here today, the Deputy Minister of Public Health, Housing, and Local Government said the existing criteria used by the federal government to determine the construction of fire stations are not suitable for Sarawak due to the State’s unique geographical challenges.

“I will continue to push for the construction of fire stations because conditions in Sarawak are different. We cannot apply the same criteria to every state,” he said, as reported by TVS.

Penguang said areas such as Long Lama, Long Teru, and Marudi require permanent fire stations as it currently takes firefighters between one and two hours to reach emergency scenes.

He added that, on his own initiative, two volunteer fire centres had been established at Rumah Salih and Long Lama to serve as first responders, but acknowledged that both still lack adequate equipment and training.

To address that, he urged the Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) to strengthen volunteer fire brigades in rural areas by providing equipment and continuous training.

He also said the rapid development taking place in Baram, including in Long Lama and Long Teru, which have since been upgraded to district status, requires a new approach to providing emergency and safety services to better meet the needs of rural communities. — DayakDaily