MIRI: The morning heat shimmered over Kuala Baram on Saturday, but it was not the weather that raised the temperature.
Just after 10am, the stillness of the Miri Fuel Terminal was shattered by the wail of sirens and the growl of an approaching fire engine. This was Ops Kilat, a high-intensity emergency drill simulating a diesel tank fire, staged by the Miri Fire and Rescue Department in collaboration with Petronas Dagangan and Miri Port.
Though planned, the drill unfolded with all the urgency and discipline of a real industrial emergency.
The scenario: a diesel storage tank at risk of going up in flames, its volatile contents threatening to trigger a full-scale disaster.
For the crews on the ground, it was not “just practice”, it was a test of precision, endurance, and seamless cooperation.
At 10:16am, the Control Room logged the “emergency” report from Petronas Dagangan’s Miri terminal.
Within seconds, duty officer PBK I Iskandar Aus had his crew moving. The alarm bell clanged, the bay doors rolled up, and the FRT Scania WJP 1419 roared to life.
The four-man team- driver PBK II Awg Arizal, and firefighters Nashrul, Georgetian, Franklin, and Abg Azri- were kitted up and strapped in as the truck pulled away at 10:17am sharp.
The 14-kilometre journey to Kuala Baram was taken at full speed, blue lights cutting through traffic. By 10:30am, the team was on site.
The initial scene was a carefully staged picture of potential disaster: heat haze rising, hoses snaking across the ground, and Petronas’ own Emergency Response Team (ERT) already in action. A cluster of Miri Port firefighters worked alongside them, their reflective stripes flashing in the sun.
But the arrival of the Bomba unit marked a handover of authority.
Incident Commander Iskandar wasted no time in conducting a rapid “size-up”- the critical first assessment of risk, resources, and strategy. His decision was swift: take over suppression from the ERT and deploy the cooling method to bring down the tank temperature before tackling the heart of the fire.
Two nozzles were fed along a 300-foot hose line. As water hit the heated steel, the impact released bursts of steam, drifting like mist over the operation.
The firefighters moved with well-practised efficiency- pivoting, signalling, and adjusting pressure – their focus absolute.
From the outside, firefighting can seem chaotic. Up close, it’s more like choreography: controlled, deliberate, and grounded in training. The team’s boots crunched over gravel, radios crackled with clipped exchanges, and the constant thrum of the pump underscored the work.
The scene reeked of hot metal and wet concrete, a sensory reminder that even in simulation, industrial firefighting is a tough, physical task.
By 11:30am, the “fire” was officially under control. In the real world, this would be the turning point – the moment danger recedes, replaced by containment and vigilance.
In the drill, it was the cue to transition into post-operation checks. The final “all clear” came just after 12:40pm, and by 1pm the crews were back at base, gear stowed and vehicles clean.
Lutong Fire and Rescue Station Chief PBT II Henry Jugah was present to observe the drill’s execution and ensure objectives were met.
His role was not simply oversight – it was about reinforcing standards and identifying areas for sharper performance.
The post-mortem session that followed was candid. Every decision, every movement, every exchange between crews was analysed. Where a real fire would leave little room for reflection, the drill offered the luxury of stopping to ask: What can we do faster? What can we do better?
For the Petronas Dagangan ERT, working alongside the Bomba unit was as much about trust as technique.
“We have the equipment and the training,” one ERT member explained, “but in a large-scale incident, Bomba has the broader operational command. Exercises like this mean we’re not strangers when it matters most.”
The Miri Port team’s involvement was equally important. Industrial zones often overlap in risk profiles, and coordinated responses across agencies are critical to avoiding delays in a real emergency.
Diesel tanks are not just big metal containers – they are volatile, high-risk assets. A rupture or uncontrolled fire could quickly escalate, threatening lives, property, and the environment.
That’s why Ops Kilat was designed to feel real: so that if the day comes when diesel burns for real, the response is instinctive, not improvised.
Incident Commander Iskandar summed it up with quiet emphasis: “Every exercise we do is a rehearsal for a day we hope never comes. If it does, we must be ready without hesitation.”
The day ended, as it often does in such exercises, with a group photo – a rare moment of relaxed camaraderie before crews returned to their daily duties. The smiles in the picture tell their own story: not of an easy day, but of confidence earned through sweat, noise, and the disciplined motion of firefighting.
