KUANTAN, Nov 16 — The Fire and Rescue Department (FRD) has submitted recommendations on various improvements to avoid death of its personnel in water rescue operations.
Its director-general, Datuk Mohammad Hamdan Wahid, said the recommendations were included in the investigation report on the death of six fire personnel during a mining pool rescue mission in Puchong early last month which was submitted to the Home and Local Government Ministry.
“We proposed improvements in terms of the standard operating procedures (SOP) and training,’” he told reporters at a programme with retired fire personnel in Pahang here last night.
However, he declined to elaborate on the report as an independent inquiry had been set up to probe into the incident.
The incident occurred on October 3 while the firemen, from the department’s Water Rescue Unit, were in a search and rescue mission for a teenager who fell into a mining pool at Taman Putra Perdana, Puchong in Selangor.
Those killed were Mohd Fatah Hashim, 34, Izatul Akma Wan Ibrahim, 32, Mazlan Omarbaki, 25, Yahya Ali, 24, Adnan Othman, 33, and Muhammad Hifdzul Malik Shaari, 25.
In another development, Mohammad Hamdan said the department continued to take care of its personnel even after they retired through the setting up of the retired firemen’s association in the states.
He said among states that had set up the association were Pahang, Johor, Selangor and Kuala Lumpur.
“Through the association, we are able to contribute continuously for their welfare as some of them are not well and old,” he added. — Bernama
