KUANTAN: Fire hydrants paved with tar, buried beneath earth and leaking were among the factors which left 15,724 units across the country to be in unusable condition last year.
Fire and Rescue Department director Datuk Nor Hisham Mohammad said the hydrant-related problems such as malfunctioning spindle valves, caused major damage and that the units needed to be replaced.
"Last year, a total of 15,724 fire hydrants from 422,472 units nationwide were reported faulty and the entire unit had to be replaced. If the repairs were minor, then our personnel will carry out the work themselves.
"Our personnel will usually inspect the fire hydrants and remove the debris including earth and ensure the units are in proper working conditions in case of emergencies. The fire hydrants are usually inspected annually but we now try to check at least three times in a year in a bid to help shorten its response time when providing rescue efforts.
"This year, the department will work closely with the local authorities to monitor road projects so that the hydrants will not be paved with tar and earth. Inspections on the hydrants will be carried out around the year to ensure the units are always in good condition," he told reporters after presenting the Outstanding Service Award (APC) to 78 firemen in Pahang at the department's headquarters in Indera Mahkota here today.
Last week, Local Government and Development minister Nga Kor Ming said he had told Nor Hisham to order all 377 Fire and Rescue Stations nationwide to inspect the fire hydrants in the country. (https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2024/02/1012885/nga-orders-fire-and-r...)
Meanwhile, Nor Hisham said as the country was expected to experience hot and dry weather soon, the department was on full alert for possible peat and bush fires.
"Based on previous cases, peat soil fires are usually reported in Kuantan, Pekan and Rompin during the hot season. The department will be prepared but we also seek the cooperation from the plantation and land owners.
"Plantation workers and land owners are reminded not to carry out open burning when clearing their land as those located near peatlands can become highly flammable during drought conditions. The peat and bush fires often become a threat to the people living nearby and road users so it is best to avoid open burning at plantations or farms," he said.
In his speech earlier, Nor Hisham said the department's integrity unit received 80 complaints last year involving various cases namely 52 involving misconduct, scandal/ sexual offences (seven cases), power abuse (seven), corruption (four), administration (four), management (three), wrongdoing (two) and financial complaint (one).
"After conducting the probe, 35 complaints were justified, 34 complaints were baseless and seven were classified as No Further Action (NFA) while four are still being investigated.
"Out of the 35 justified cases, seven were recommended for disciplinary action, 19 were issued warning letters, eight cases were referred for behaviour improvement and one was referred to the enforcement agency," he said.