KOTA BARU: The number of flood victims on board the Fire and Rescue Department's boats will be reduce in its operations during the upcoming monsoon season.
State department director Zainal Mandasin said each of the department's rescue boats would previously have eight aboard, including flood victims.
However, he said this time around, only six people will be allowed to be on board a boat.
He said the new move was taken as a precaution against Covid-19 infection and to follow the standard operating procedures (SOP).
"Before this, one rescue boat will ferry at least five flood victims and three firemen, but in the coming monsoon season, we have to minimise the number to a total of six only.
"The six will comprise three flood victims and three firemen. The move will enable the one-metre physical distancing to be practised on a boat," he said, adding more than 50 rescue boats would be on standby for this year's monsoon season.
Zainal told this to reporters after witnessing a flood preparation exercise at Pangkalan Datu river near Sering today.
About 50 firemen were involved in the one-hour exercise which ended at noon. Also present was Kelantan Disaster Management Unit deputy assistant director Nik Mohamed Noor Nik Ishak.
On today's exercise, Zainal said it was part of the preparation to face the rainy season.
"We need to improve the skills of our firemen in handling rescue operations during this monsoon season.
"This year's monsoon season is much different from the previous one as this time, we need to rescue flood victims as well as Covid-19 patients whose houses are flooded," he said