Fire Dept plans Forward Operating Base in East Coast

GUA MUSANG - The Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) is planning to establish a Forward Operating Base (FOB) for its airborne operations unit to reduce response time to emergencies in the East Coast states of Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang.

Its Air Division director Datuk Nazili Mahmood said the FOB is still in the planning stage, and the need for such a base depends on situational developments.

"At present, JBPM can still carry out flights either from the Central Region Base in Subang, Selangor, or the Northern Region Air Base, Bertam in Penang, to Gua Musang in Kelantan.

"However, we are also planning to establish an FOB in Wakaf Tapai, Terengganu, as the response time to Gua Musang, for example, is only about half an hour,” he told reporters after delivering food supply aid to the Orang Asli community at Pos Belatim here recently.

He said 25 personnel were assigned to deliver a total of 15 tonnes of food to the Orang Asli population in Gua Musang, who were cut off due to a landslide incident last week.

The affected settlements are Pos Gob, Pos Bihai, Pos Balar, Pos Belatim and Pos Simpor, involving 1,097 families from 56 villages.

"We are delivering these food supplies using a helicopter because the Department of Orang Asli Development (JAKOA) has provided a total of 20.8 tonnes to be distributed to all affected residents.

"The Mi-17 helicopter is very effective and faster. For example, if we use the land route to Pos Gob, it will take up to 15 hours, but with the helicopter, the travel time is only 20 minutes,” he said. -BERNAMA