JBPM reports a sharp increase in false emergency calls, wasting resources and creating dangerous gaps in fire and rescue coverage
PUTRAJAYA: The Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) has raised the alarm over a sharp increase in false emergency calls received over the past three years.
JBPM director-general Datuk Seri Nor Hisham Mohammad said the false calls waste critical resources and can undermine actual rescue operations.
He revealed that 141 false calls were recorded in 2023, a number that rose to 196 in 2024 and increased again to 255 last year.
“For every call received, we will respond as best as we can,” he told the media after the JBPM 2026 Annual Parade.
Nor Hisham explained that personnel are sometimes already en route before being informed an alarm was false, or arrive to find no incident occurred at all.
This results in significant losses of time, logistics and finances for the department.
The director-general said his greatest concern is the dangerous coverage gaps created when resources are deployed far from their stations.
He warned this leaves areas near fire stations temporarily unprotected during a false alarm response.
If a real emergency then occurs, assistance must be sourced from other stations, disrupting overall emergency response effectiveness.
To address the issue, JBPM will hold discussions with the Ministry of Communications to find effective solutions.
As an immediate mitigation measure, the department is emphasising more effective early communication between control room officers and callers.
Officers will obtain detailed information before deciding on a full emergency response deployment.
“In certain situations, officers will exercise sound judgement on whether it is necessary to deploy fire engines or to send assessment officers first,” Nor Hisham said.
He stressed that communication in the control room is critically important for accurate emergency assessment.
“What may be considered trivial by some may be a real emergency for others,” he added.
