JBPM will build a fourth K9 operations centre in Bertam, Penang, costing RM19 million to improve northern region emergency response times
KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department will establish its fourth Detection Dog Unit operations centre in Bertam, Penang.
The RM19 million facility is scheduled to become fully operational by early 2029.
JBPM director-general Datuk Seri Nor Hisham Mohammad said the new centre will enhance response times for incidents in the northern region of Peninsular Malaysia.
He explained that the northern region currently depends on the K9 centre in Kuala Lumpur for support.
Construction will take place on a 2.02-hectare reserve site within the JBPM Northern Region Air Base and Bertam Fire and Rescue Station.
“The tender process is expected to open as early as the end of 2026,” Nor Hisham said.
“Construction is scheduled to begin in 2027 with operations targeted to start in early 2029.”
He spoke at the Housing and Local Government Ministry’s Sentuhan Kejayaan programme at the Taman Sri Sentosa K9 Operations Centre.
The new operations centre will serve the northern region including Perak and Cameron Highlands in Pahang.
Nor Hisham highlighted that relying solely on the Kuala Lumpur centre could affect response effectiveness.
He specifically mentioned two key disciplines: forensic fire investigations and water cadaver recovery.
“In fire cases, evidence which could help determine the cause may be lost if the response is delayed,” he explained.
“In drowning incidents, any delay increases the likelihood of the body drifting further with the current.”
JBPM currently operates with 34 detection dogs but needs at least 56 to meet operational requirements.
This includes dogs for the upcoming Bertam centre.
To optimise costs, JBPM is planning to establish its own breeding programme.
Department officers will manage the programme after completing three months of specialised training in the United Kingdom.
JBPM currently operates three K9 centres in Jalan Klang Lama, Kuala Lumpur; Tuaran, Sabah; and Serian, Sarawak.
The government recently approved procurement of 16 new detection dogs from the United Kingdom.
These dogs will serve in fire investigation and search-and-rescue disciplines.
The total cost is RM2.4 million including an additional RM600,000 allocation from the National Disaster Management Agency. – Bernama
