BUKIT MERTAJAM: The Fire and Rescue Department will tighten requirements for personnel joining its Water Rescue Team (PPDA) to prevent a recurrence of the tragedy where a fireman drowned after falling into Sungai Prai while carrying out boat maintenance works last Thursday.
Its deputy director-general (development) Datuk Ahmad Izram Osman said at present an internal investigation into the incident had begun and was expected to be completed within a month.
He said results from the investigation would be used to improve the standard operating procedures (SOP) for the PPDA.
"So, (the SOP that will be improved) may be in terms of facilities, training, basic recruitment (members) and for members who join PPDA must pass certain conditions.
"Indeed the conditions (now) are there. Just that we will tighten it up so that the level of competence (members) is high and (the department has) a (more) complete SOP so that things like this (members drowning during boat maintenance) will not happen again in the future," he said when commenting on the progress of the investigation.
It was reported that the body of Mohd Izwan Illias, 42, was found after 19 hours of search, within a 20m radius of where he was reported to have fallen into the water.
Izwan, a member of the Underwater Rescue Team of the Butterworth fire station, had fallen into the river about 10pm last Thursday while carrying out boat maintenance works.
He had been carrying out boat maintenance works at the Fire and Rescue Department's jetty in Mak Mandin, Butterworth.
Izram was met after accompanying the five children of the deceased fireman to the Hari Hari clothing store in Taman Prominence, Bandar Perda her to prepare for school in conjunction with the corporate social responsibility programme of the department and the clothing store.
Elaborating, he said the incident was the first involving a boat at the marine base.
"There used to be incidents (such as) in Puchong (Selangor), Melaka and so on but that was all during operations. So (the sequence of this incident) we have to look at it from all aspects and improve it (SOP).
"We have invited a trained committee that really understands PPDA and they will give recommendations that we will discuss (in this regard)," he said.