Tebedu fire station not urgent, says minister

KUCHING (Feb 25): The establishment of a dedicated fire station in Tebedu is not currently urgent, as the area is adequately covered by the Serian fire station, said Nga Kor Ming.

The Housing and Local Government Minister said the station in Serian is located 37.7km away from Tebedu, with an average response time of about 34 minutes.

“While Tebedu does not meet the threshold for a dedicated fire station, the ministry, through the Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba), believes that empowering the local community through volunteer fire teams, community fire teams, and fire safety campaigns is the most effective strategy to create a disaster-resilient and safe community,” he said in a parliamentarian reply to Serian MP Datuk Seri Richard Riot Jaem.

Nga explained that fire station construction is based on government assessments guided by the Fire Cover Analysis and emergency statistics over the past five years.

Tebedu scored 17 points on the risk assessment scale—classified as low risk—making immediate construction less pressing, he said.

He added that to maintain fire protection, Bomba Sarawak has established 27 community fire teams in prevention, basic firefighting, and the use of fire extinguishers.

Nga also urged support for volunteer fire team initiatives to strengthen local firefighting capabilities.

Recently, Tebedu assemblyman Dr Simon Sinang Bada called for a fire station to be built in his constituency following a fire that affected three houses in Kampung Entubuh.

Dr Sinang said plans for a Tebedu fire station were previously approved under the 11th and 12th Malaysia Plans but have yet to be realised.