Khirudin (third left) inspects some of the boats in preparation for floods.
KUCHING (Oct 1): The Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) will start testing its boats across Sarawak tomorrow in preparation for the annual monsoon flooding from early December to the end of January or early February.
State director Khirudin Drahman said this would include boat handling training, rescue technique training, and diving training.
“Our logistics include 37 rescue boats, 16 lorries, 67 4X4 trucks, 18 EMRS (emergency medical rescue service), and two helicopters, and 1,398 personnel ready to deploy,” he told a press conference at the Bomba headquarters today.
“We will also be conducting training and simulation for the front base; as well as safety talks before, during, and after floods with all the agencies involved; and creating bonds between the agencies so that they know who is giving orders when the time comes.”
Bomba is also working with the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) and the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) to monitor water levels and maintain telemetry, so that early reports on isolated areas could be obtained.
The department is also working with the police and Welfare Department on preparations.
Khirudin said Bomba carried out 114 flood monitoring patrols in September to monitor the situation.
The department has also identified 349 locations that are flood prone, 97 road cut-off locations, and 77 landslide locations, he said.
“Recently, the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) had also ordered the community to clear drains in their area to prevent flash floods,” he said.
He pointed out standard operating procedures (SOPs) have been set for floods in Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO) areas.
There are two SOPs for EMCO areas and four SOPs for the department to follow to prevent any Covid-19 cluster from happening at flood evacuation centres, he said.
“JKM and SDMC will prepare the flood evacuation facility with physical distancing. So far since last year and early this year’s flooding, no cluster happened at the centres,” he noted.
On the flood forecast for Sarawak, he said that MetMalaysia believes the weather will be normal in terms of rain quota and distribution, with slightly wetter conditions in Kuching, Sri Aman, and Samarahan.