Sabahan firefighter traverses Miri airspace to help out Sarawakians

 

The airspace in Miri has become a familiar ground to the Fire and Rescue Department’s Sarawak Regional Air Base (PUWS) commander Robert James, who has been involved with Covid-19 logistics since early June this year.

James, 35, who is a co-pilot, said he and his team had carried out various rescue missions besides delivering Covid-19 vaccines to rural areas in Miri, including Long Lellang, Long Banga, Lio Mato, Long Jeeh and Long Jekitan.

"We also send staff from the Health Ministry to rural areas that experience an increase in Covid-19 cases, where the ministry sets up low-risk Covid-19 quarantine and treatment centres in those areas until the cases decrease," he told Bernama.

He said the team faced various challenges, including bad weather, during operations to deliver vaccines to the rural areas in Miri which took between 30 minutes and an hour from the base.

"When we face bad weather, it will affect operations. Our flight path has to be changed several times to avoid clouds bringing rain, and this involves using more fuel, requiring us to think fast on deciding where to land.

"While landing, there are various challenges we face such as if the landing site is filled with water due to floods experienced in some rural areas; it requires certain landing methods and a high level of concentration," said the native of Telupid, Sabah.

Recounting an anxious moment, James said that at one point, his helicopter had almost run out of fuel as they had to make a diversion to avoid bad weather.

"However, with the help of the Malaysian Civil Aviation Authority (CAAM) air traffic control, we were still able to continue the flight safely until we landed at the base," he said.

He said the PUWS currently has two helicopters, an MI 171 made in Russia and an Agusta 139 made in Italy, which are always on standby for any emergencies.

Three ambitions

Sharing his experience on joining the rescue department, Robert said back in school, he had three ambitions - to become a pilot, firefighter or teacher.

“When I was in high school and got to know more about becoming a pilot, I found that continuing my studies in the field was very costly, as I also came from a middle-income family. So, my interest shifted more towards becoming a firefighter when I was a teenager.

“After graduating from university, I applied for a position as a firefighter. I feel very lucky and grateful that after joining this team in 2012, I discovered there was also an air unit, and that fuelled me to pursue my dream of becoming a pilot,” he said.

He entered the department’s air unit in 2016 and underwent flight training in Kelantan and Johor before being commissioned as a pilot in October 2020, and began leading the PUWS in March 2021 as co-pilot.

On an interesting note, all three of his ambitions seem to have been achieved, as his wife serves as a teacher in Sabah.

- Bernama