Hoax calls putting lives at risk, says Fire Dept

The Star

22-07-2025

Stretched thin: The number of false alarms may seem small, but even a single hoax can drain the firemen's time and energy and disrupt their focus, potentially putting real emergencies at greater risk. — Bernama
KOTA BARU: The fire station bell rings loudly, piercing the silence of the night.
With sirens wailing and lights flashing, the red fire engine speeds out of the station. But upon arrival at the given address, everything is silent. No flames, no smoke.
It is a hoax call.
To the caller, it may be just a prank, but to firemen, every false alarm is a gamble with someone else's life as response teams may not be available should a real crisis arise.
Kelantan Fire and Rescue Department director Farhan Sufyan Borhan said they received 2,053 emergency calls as of July 7 this year, out of which eight were hoax calls.
In 2024, it recorded 6,099 calls including seven false alarms; in 2023, there were 4,480 calls with seven false alarms; and in 2022, there were 4,213 calls with two false alarms.
At a glance, the number of false alarms may seem small, but even a single hoax can drain the firemen's time and energy and disrupt their focus, potentially putting real emergencies at greater risk.
Farhan Sufyan said there were also heartbroken or plain lonely callers, who abused the emergency hotline to pour out their feelings.
'To them, it might not be wrong to call the emergency number but to us, it's still a false call because the station has to prepare regardless, and the fire engine remains on standby for dispatch,' he told Bernama.
He warned that those who make false emergency calls can be charged under Section 233 (2) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.
Upon conviction, offenders face a fine not exceeding RM50,000 or imprisonment of not more than one year, or both.
Farhan Sufyan also reminded the public that accurate and precise information is crucial in an emergency.
Recalling an incident that still haunts him today, he said it happened when he was serving in Sabah.
He said someone called to report a fire, but the address given was incomplete, so the operations commander tried to ask more questions, such as nearby landmarks or street names.
In those crucial moments, the fire grew larger.
'Tragically, three people perished in that fire, not because the windows of the building they were trapped in were barred, but because it took too long for the firefighters to get to the correct location,' he added.