Public Told to Keep Contact Number of Local Fire Stations

KOTA KINABALU, 21 MAY, 2011: People in the state have been advised to keep the contact number of the local fire stations so that they can contact them directly in the event of fire apart from using the nationwide emergency number, 999.

Sabah Fire and Rescue Department director Khirudin Drahman said this would ensure a faster response time in case they were not able to contact the department through the emergency line.

Commenting on the fire in Kampung Dabak, Jalan Pogun, Penampang, near here yesterday, he said the response time from the fire station there was three minutes.

In the incident, an elderly couple was left homeless.

House owner, John Kinsuat, 60, who was not at home in the 10.30am incident, said he was told by his neighbours that firemen took too long to reach the place although the house was less than a kilometre from the district's fire station.

Penampang fire and rescue station-in-charge Johny John said they managed to control the fire in 20 minutes after reaching the scene at 10.56am.

Khairudin said: "I was told that the number which they used to report the fire was 999. The (call centre) for this number is in Kuching and they claimed that they had dialed the number nine times but was not responded to.

"Then they called the police. The police then called us. We reached the place three minutes later," he said, adding that he had reviewed the matter with his officers to see what can be done to smoothen the process involving calls to the number 999 in the future.



-- BERNAMA