MIRI: Sarawak Transport Minister Datuk Seri Lee Kim Shin has proposed establishing a community volunteer firefighter network across here to improve emergency response, particularly in rural and remote areas.
The Senadin assemblyman said villages located far from fire stations should have volunteer firefighting units trained by the Fire and Rescue Department and equipped with portable pumps, hoses and other essential firefighting equipment.
“During the critical minutes before firefighters arrive, nearby residents should know how to carry out initial firefighting safely. Early intervention can prevent small fires from becoming major disasters,” he said at the Hari Terbuka Balai Bomba dan Penyelamat Lutong and Majlis Riang Ria Balai Bomba Lutong on Sunday (July 12).
Lee said the department should develop a structured community firefighting programme to recruit, train and equip more volunteers, especially in rural and remote communities where emergency response times may be longer.
He added that public awareness was equally important in helping communities understand fire prevention and emergency preparedness.
Lee also highlighted recurring peatland fires as one of Miri’s most pressing environmental challenges, saying they not only generate prolonged haze but also threaten public health and road safety.
He commended the Fire and Rescue Department for working with housing developers and landowners to establish volunteer response teams to tackle peat fires before they spread.
“This collaborative approach has proven effective because everyone responds immediately whenever a fire breaks out instead of relying solely on firefighters,” he said.
Lee described the initiative as a model that could be further strengthened through closer cooperation between government agencies, private developers and local communities.
Lee said the Lutong Fire and Rescue Station had significantly enhanced emergency response for Lutong, Tudan, Permai Jaya and Kuala Baram since becoming operational.
He recalled advocating for the station, as well as the Kuala Baram and Lopeng fire stations, after Miri’s rapid urban expansion outpaced the capacity of its sole fire station at the time.
“As Miri continued to grow, additional fire stations became essential to ensure faster emergency response and better protection for residents,” he said.
To strengthen community preparedness, Lee also proposed organising a large-scale community firefighting competition involving villages throughout the Senadin constituency.
He said the programme could be jointly organised by the Lutong and Lopeng Fire and Rescue stations to encourage greater public participation in emergency response and disaster preparedness.
The event also featured the Jualan Rahmah programme, organised in collaboration with the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living’s Miri branch.
Lee said the initiative, which offers discounts of between 10 and 30 per cent on selected essential goods, would continue rotating across villages and neighbourhoods throughout the Senadin constituency to help ease the cost of living.
Reflecting on Miri’s transformation over the past three decades, Lee said the city had evolved from a town with limited infrastructure into a modern urban centre with improved roads, healthcare facilities, utilities and public services.
Drawing from his childhood growing up in a rural village without electricity or treated water, Lee said those experiences shaped his determination to improve living standards for future generations.
“What matters is not making promises, but delivering results that people can see and benefit from,” he said.
