SIBU: The Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) is seeking assistance from the Sarawak government to establish fire stations across the state, particularly along the Pan Borneo Highway.
According to its director, Jamri Masran, this is crucial due to the increasing number of road accidents along the Pan Borneo Highway.
He said the department is currently preparing a proposal on the matter.
“We will submit the proposal to the state government, and so far, I can see that three fire stations are needed.
“The locations have not been finalised yet, as we are still conducting our study, but we have identified three sites that are suitable because they are neither too close to each other nor too far apart along the Pan Borneo Highway,” he said.
He said this after attending a breaking-of-fast programme held at the Sungai Merah fire station here on Sunday night (March 16).
Jamri added that with more fire stations along the Pan Borneo Highway, response times to road incidents in the area could be shortened, increasing the chances of survival for those involved.
“We can start by building Type D fire stations. Perhaps we can rent shop lots and convert them into fire stations, which would speed up the establishment process.
“Over time, as the risk level increases, we can upgrade these fire stations. What we want right now is to speed up response times, especially during festive seasons,” he added.
Meanwhile, when asked about new fire stations in Sarawak, Jamri said two stations are currently in the pipeline, one in Engkilili and another in Dalat with construction expected to commence next year.
“The project is funded by the federal government under the 13th Malaysia Plan,” he added.
