Johor Fire and Rescue Dept begins fire safety training at UTHM

JOHOR BARU: The Johor Fire and Rescue Department has become the first such organisation in the country to introduce fire safety training sessions at higher learning institutions.
"We have initiated a four semester fire safety training session for undergraduates in University Tun Hussein Malaysia (UTHM), Batu Pahat," its director, Othman Abdullah, told the media after a fire and rescue parade at its headquarters, here today.
108 undergraduates will be awarded certificates as Siswa auxiliary fire personnel on Feb 22 at UTHM. The group will not only serve at the university, but also nearby villages.
"We need more members of the public to be involved in fire safety, so the people at the fire scene have the ability to handle the fire at the beginning stages," he said.
Meanwhile, he said the department had received 29 distress calls daily last year, and the trend of prank calls has declined as people have become more aware of fire safety.
"We received 105 prank calls last year compared to 143 in 2016."
He also urged the public to download the department's apps to their smartphones, which will provide information on the nearest fire station in case of an emergency.
"The apps provides all necessary information on all fire stations in Malaysia," he added.
On the upcoming Chinese New year, he advised the public to shut down all electrical appliances in their homes before they "balik kampong".
"This simple step is important as all these electrical appliances will easily cause a fire if there is a spark or short circuit."