SIBU, Oct 23 — Fire and Rescue Department Sarawak has shifted into high gear and is ready to face the possibility of year-end floods.
Its state director Khirudin Drahman said instructions had been issued to all zone and station chiefs to get ready their assets and logistics.
“Officers’ leave is in the process of being frozen except for urgent ones.
“Water rescue training and usage of boats have been conducted, as well as visit to local evacuation centres (PPS),” he said.
Khirudin told reporters this after the handing of Covid-19 kit by Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg’s wife Datuk Amar Juma’ani Tun Tuanku Bujang at Fire and Rescue Department Sibu Central Station yesterday.
Commenting further, the director said the issue is how to tackle the number of victims in PPS if there is flooding so as to comply with the standard operating procedure (SOP) against Covid-19.
“We (Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department) had been tested in the recent floods in Kapit. There was good cooperation from the local community on SOP compliance including social distancing,” Khirudin said.
On another matter, he informed that a total of 1,799 public sanitisations had been carried out across Sarawak until Wednesday.
He disclosed that last week, the department flew a medical team from Ministry of Health by helicopter to Long Dalih and northern Sarawak to do swab tests.
As for disaster relief, he said a total of 165 missions had been carried out across the state, mostly related to transportation of victims using Emergency Medical Rescue Services (EMRS) ambulance, delivering of food using helicopter and lorries as well as transporting students returning from Peninsular Malaysia.
At the same time, he urged the public not to let their guard down against Covid-19.
“I urge members of the public to continue giving attention to the SOP provided by the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) and government to break the chain of Covid-19 infection,” he advised.
Earlier, Khirudin thanked KTS, Petronas and Pansar for assisting them with the distribution of equipment for public sanitisation. — Borneo Post Online
Septuagenarian’s body found in Sarawak, believed to be crocodile victim
SARIKEI: The body of a septuagenarian, who went missing following a fishing trip to Sungai Mawa in the Sungai Rusa area near here on Tuesday, was found yesterday morning.
Sarikei District Fire and Rescue chief Mahmudin Narudin said Leong Kheng Onn, 72, is believed to have been the victim of a crocodile attack as his left leg was missing.
He was found around 10.40am in a tributary of Sungai Mawa, around 300 metres from a search and rescue (SAR) control post.
Mahmudin said they handed Leong’s body to a police team for transportation to the Sarikei Hospital mortuary.
A post-mortem will be carried out to ascertain the actual cause of death.
Leong’s 27-year-old daughter filed a missing person’s report at 7am on Wednesday, after he failed to return home from his fishing trip the day before.
According to the report, Leong had left the family home on a motorcycle to go to his usual fishing spot at Sungai Mawa around 5pm.
After he did not return home by 9pm, his worried daughter contacted his friends to check if he was with them.
Leong’s friends helped her to look him through the night and found his motorcycle near his fishing spot.
They also found Leong’s slippers and fishing gear at the scene. — Borneo Post Online
