KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 24 — Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) director-general Datuk Seri Nor Hisham Mohamad today said around 3,000 Bomba personnel in Kuala Lumpur will be on duty in conjunction with the 47th Asean Summit.
He said Bomba teams in other cities, including Shah Alam and Putrajaya, will also be on high alert in case of emergencies.
“It is not easy because the country’s image is on the line here and it is important for us to uphold and defend it,” he said.
Nor Hisham said that during the peak of the summit from October 26 to 28, Bomba operations director Nordin Pauzi will personally oversee the Kuala Lumpur command centre to ensure smooth and swift coordination.
He added that the department has set a ‘zero failure’ target throughout the summit.
Nor Hisham said the partial closure of roads into the city centre would work to their advantage, as it would ease traffic navigation and ensure faster emergency response times.
Separately, in preparation for the Northeast Monsoon expected to hit next month, he said around 15,000 Bomba personnel are on standby.
They are supported by 1,400 land and water assets, including four-wheel-drive (4WD) vehicles and lorries, placed at high-risk areas nationwide and at Regional Forward Bases.
He said the Irrigation and Drainage Department has identified 3,683 flood-prone areas across the country — a decrease from over 4,000 the previous year and more than 5,000 the year before that.
“The reduction is mostly due to flood mitigation efforts by the government.
“Despite the drop in flood-prone areas, staying vigilant will always be our top priority,” he said.
Nor Hisham reminded all Bomba personnel not to let their guard down as disasters can occur at any time, referring to this morning’s flash flood in Larut, Perak, which forced thousands of residents to evacuate their homes.
He said a detailed briefing on Bomba’s preparations and logistics for the Northeast Monsoon will be presented on November 1.
