Latest news with #FarhanSufyan
The Star
9 hours ago
- The Star
Hoax calls putting lives at risk, says Fire Dept
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.
Barnama
a day ago
- General
- Barnama
Hoax Calls Disrupt Firemen's Duties, Jeopardise Real Emergencies
T he fire station bell rings loudly, piercing the silence of the night. The crew immediately jumps into action. Siren wailing and blue and red 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 the firemen, every false alarm is a gamble with someone else's life as response teams may not be available should a real crisis arise. HOTLINE While hoax calls are quite common, not many know that some people use the emergency hotline for another purpose – to pour out their feelings. 'They don't call us to report a fire or accident. They just need someone to talk to,' Kelantan Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) director Farhan Sufyan Borhan told Bernama, adding that these callers are usually heartbroken or plain lonely. Farhan Sufyan Borhan 'Sometimes, all we can hear at the other end of the line is laboured breathing or a trembling voice trying to hold back tears. Some callers don't speak a word… (maybe) they just want to feel there's someone there for them, even if it is only for a few minutes. 'To them, it might not feel 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.' Behind every emergency call, there is a price to be paid – in terms of the time wasted in attending to such calls, in the operational and fuel expenses of unnecessary fire truck deployments, and the physical and mental toll it takes on firefighters. In fact, before the Malaysian Emergency Response System (MERS) 999 was introduced in 2007, all emergency calls went directly to the fire station and JBPM had to bear the cost of the phone bills. 'The fire department had to cover the bills, even if the call was just a prank,' Farhan Sufyan said. STATISTICS JBPM Kelantan received 2,053 emergency calls this year as of July 7, 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 (seven false alarms); and in 2022, there were 4,213 calls (with two false alarms). As of July 7, Kelantan JBPM received 2,053 calls involving 796 fires; 1,173 rescues; 76 special tasks and eight false calls. 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 the introduction of MERS 999, operated by Telekom Malaysia Bhd, brought some relief but it has not completely eliminated hoax calls. Under MERS 999, every emergency call is screened beforehand. The caller's name, location and other details are recorded, and the nearest fire station receives a call sheet simultaneously, even while the caller is still speaking to the operator. 'This system really helps. But we would still require more information… such as (in the case of fire reports) what type of fire and if there are victims, so that the commander can plan the best strategy,' said Farhan Sufyan. He said there are three main call centres – located in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur; Melaka; and Kuching, Sarawak – handling emergency calls and operating simultaneously. If one centre is busy, the call is automatically routed to another. 'Some people think if a call from Sabah is transferred to Sarawak, it will cause delays. That's not true. Our system is designed to ensure response time remains fast,' he said. However, even the best technology depends on one fundamental thing: accurate and complete information from the caller. 'Technology won't be of much help if the location given to us is not correct (or incomplete)… this is why we need accurate information,' he added. INCOMPLETE ADDRESS Farhan Sufyan then recalled an incident that still haunts him and which occurred when he was attached to JBPM Sabah. He said a caller, sounding breathless and frantic, phoned to report a fire. But the address given was incomplete, so the operations commander tried to ask more questions, such as the names of nearby landmarks or streets. However, in those crucial moments, the fire became bigger. 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. For emergencies involving JBPM, the nearest fire station will receive the "call sheet" in real time, that is, while the caller is still on the line talking to the operator. 'Moments like that are what determine whether a life is saved or lost,' Farhan Sufyan said. That incident was a costly lesson: technology can speed things up, but lives still hinge on the information provided by the caller. 'In an emergency, that information is the very first lifeline,' he added. He also said JBPM Kelantan makes a police report each time a prank call is received. 'This is not about seeking revenge but to prevent the same thing from happening again,' he said, adding that in Sabah, the fire department has successfully traced and prosecuted several hoax callers. Members of the public who make false emergency calls can be charged under Section 233 (2) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, and upon conviction, they face a fine not exceeding RM50,000 or imprisonment of not more than one year, or both. Urging the public to use the MERS 999 line only for genuine emergencies, Farhan Sufyan said: 'Don't treat it like a joke. Because for the firemen getting on that truck, they don't know if the call is real or fake. But they'll go anyway because in that moment, they know someone's life might depend on it.
Sinar Daily
27-06-2025
- General
- Sinar Daily
Waste fires: Silent threat pushes JBPM to the limit
Such fires often smoulder underneath piles of tyres and discarded plastics, producing thick smoke that remains a persistent threat to emergency responders and nearby residents. 02 Jun 2025 12:14pm Kelantan Fire and Rescue Department personnel brief media practitioners on emergency aid training during the launch of the Kelantan Media Community Firefighters 2025 programme at the Pengkalan Kubor Fire and Rescue Station. - Photo by Bernama KOTA BHARU - Waste fires should not be viewed as ordinary fire incidents as they pose health hazards and can even cost lives, making fire suppression efforts particularly demanding for the Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM). Such fires often smoulder underneath piles of tyres and discarded plastics, producing thick smoke that remains a persistent threat to emergency responders and nearby residents. When toxic waste is involved, the dangers multiply as the resulting smoke can cause dizziness, nausea, vomiting and long-term health effects. Kelantan JBPM director Farhan Sufyan Borhan described waste fires as a systemic issue involving various types of waste, each managed by different agencies, such as the Department of Environment, Atomic Energy Licensing Board (AELB), Solid Waste Management and Public Cleansing Corporation and local authorities. "The four main categories are sewage, solid waste (domestic and scheduled waste), radioactive waste and chemical waste. JBPM steps in when a fire breaks out and lives are at risk, but before and after that, other agencies must play their role," he said. Kelantan JBPM director Farhan Sufyan Borhan - Photo by Bernama Under the National Security Council Directive No. 20, JBPM is the lead agency for handling disasters involving chemical, radiological, nuclear, and hazardous materials, while AELB provides technical expertise for radiological and nuclear emergencies. Farhan Sufyan said that according to Kelantan JBPM statistics, 207 out of 1,827 open burning cases recorded last year involved waste collection sites, which pose significant risks when unfiltered waste is allowed to accumulate. "We're talking about smouldering fire or slow-burning fires under piles of rubbish. These are not easily visible but can spread without warning, and that's the real danger,' he said. Extinguishing such fires is no simple task, he added, as it requires dismantling the waste piles using heavy machinery such as excavators and large volumes of water. "Sometimes, a relay pumping operation from a nearby river is our only option. But JBPM doesn't own heavy machinery, so we have to rely on help from other agencies," he explained. Farhan Sufyan said that under JBPM's standard operating procedures, the department assumes full responsibility for suppression operations during the first 48 hours. After that, control is handed over to local authorities or appointed agents. "If fires continue beyond that period, further assistance from JBPM will be chargeable, unless the incident poses a danger to public safety. "Many people are unaware that JBPM is not a free service. There are limits and legal structures. However, when lives are at stake, our team responds without hesitation," he said. He added that the Hazardous Materials (Hazmat) Unit would be deployed if the fire involved toxic or hazardous substances. "Waste fires are not just about flames. They're about smoke and the toxins they carry. If the situation is too hazardous, we bring in the Hazmat team. "In Kelantan, a Hazmat unit is ready and will be mobilised if on-site assessments indicate elevated risk levels,' he said. Farhan Sufyan also recalled the 2019 Pasir Gudang incident in Johor, where the illegal dumping of chemical waste into Sungai Kim Kim released toxic fumes, affecting thousands of victims and forcing nearby schools to shut down. "That incident is a clear reminder of the critical need for effective waste management and emergency preparedness to go hand in hand," he said. - BERNAMA FIRE AND RESCUE DEPARTMENT
Barnama
26-05-2025
- General
- Barnama
Toxic Fumes From Waste Site Fires Pose Added Dangers To Firefighters
P laying a vital role in all types of rescue operations, firefighters frequently risk their own lives in the line of duty. Some of the dangers they face are invisible – lurking in the form of toxic fumes with every breath they take. This is especially the case when extinguishing fires at waste disposal sites, a task frequently handled by the Fire and Rescue Department of Malaysia (JBPM) Kelantan. Unlike other states in Peninsular Malaysia, waste disposal in Kelantan is often done directly by residents in areas designated by the local authorities. As a result, all kinds of waste, including hazardous materials that should never be disposed of there, end up at the dumpsites. Unsurprisingly, fires frequently break out at these sites, sometimes releasing toxic gases that pose serious risks to the safety of firefighting teams. According to JBPM Kelantan, it handled 1,827 open burning cases last year, with 207 involving incidents at garbage collection sites. 'In Kelantan, residents bring their waste directly to centralised locations… a practice that differs from other states where scheduled door-to-door collection is done. So, the waste is not filtered (separated) and left to pile up. 'When a fire breaks out, it's hard to detect it… we're talking about smouldering fires, that is, slow-burning fires beneath the surface that can spread without warning. That's the most dangerous type,' Kelantan JBPM director Farhan Sufyan Borhan said in a recent interview with Bernama. FIRST RESPONDER He said despite the high risk of inhaling toxic gases, JBPM is always the first agency to respond when a fire occurs at a waste disposal site. He said under the National Security Council (NSC) Directive No. 20, JBPM is the first responder for any chemical, biological, radioactive, nuclear and explosive (CBRNE) incident. 'In other words, our team's role is to first eliminate immediate hazards – such as fire – so that the relevant authorities can enter and manage the disaster,' he said. In the context of fires at waste disposal sites, Farhan Sufyan stressed that these incidents should not be viewed merely as fire outbreaks but rather as 'systemic disasters' involving multiple agencies due to the different types of waste present. The four main categories of waste found at such sites are sewage, solid waste (including domestic and scheduled waste), radioactive waste and chemical waste, which are managed by different agencies, namely Indah Water Konsortium Sdn Bhd, the Department of Environment, Atomic Energy Licensing Board, local authorities and Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Corporation (SWCorp). Farhan Sufyan added that extinguishing fires at landfill sites is no simple task and often requires heavy machinery. 'We use the 'dig up and extinguish' method, where excavators are used to break apart piles of waste. These operations also demand a large volume of water, and sometimes we have to pump it in from rivers located several kilometres away from the site. 'However, JBPM does not have its own heavy machinery, so we need to request help from other agencies. If none are available, we have no choice but to wait – even though the fire doesn't wait for us,' he said. FIRST 48 HOURS CRITICAL Farhan Sufyan also explained that under JBPM's operating protocol, the department will take full control of firefighting operations during the first 48 hours. After that, responsibility is handed back to the local authority or the appointed agency. If the fire continues to burn beyond that period, JBPM will only provide additional assistance on a paid basis, unless the incident poses a threat to public safety. 'Many people don't know this. The fire department isn't a free service that can be deployed at all times. There are limits and there is a legal framework. 'Even so, when lives are at stake, jurisdictional boundaries often become blurred. Our team will act without hesitation but the core issue still remains: who manages the waste, who prevents the fires, who controls the pollution?' he said. Commenting on the toxic fumes that firemen are exposed to when putting out landfill fires, he said burning materials like tyres and plastic release toxins that can cause dizziness, nausea, vomiting and even long-term health effects. 'If the toxicity is too high, we need to bring in the (JBPM's) special HAZMAT (Hazardous Material) unit but not every dumpsite fire requires their involvement,' he said, adding in Kelantan, a HAZMAT team is on standby and will be deployed if the toxins' danger levels exceed normal thresholds, with the assessment done on-site based on initial monitoring.
