KOTA BARU, Sept 19 — Ninety per cent out of the total 14,500 fire personnel nationwide have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19, said Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) director-general Datuk Seri Mohammad Hamdan Wahid.

He said the remaining 10 per cent have not been vaccinated due to several factors, including health problems.

Mohammad Hamdan said as the first responders in any operation it was mandatory for firemen to get inoculated to protect them from the virus.

"We are targeting to vaccinate 100 per cent of the personnel for their health and safety because they will the first responders in operations during disasters such as floods.

"They are also required to comply with the standard operating procedures (SOP) such as wearing the personal protective equipment as well as undergo real-time Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) screening tests on a regular basis,” he said.

He said this at a press conference after a making a working visit and a wearing of ranks ceremony at the Kelantan JBPM headquarters, here today.

Present were JBPM Air Division director Nazili Mahmood and Kelantan JBPM director Zainal@Jainal Madasin. — Bernama