Latest news with #MERS999
Daily Express
22-07-2025
- Daily Express
Man injured while paragliding on Ranau Park
Published on: Tuesday, July 22, 2025 Published on: Tue, Jul 22, 2025 By: Clarence Dol Text Size: The victim is lifted by firemen after the incident. RANAU: Fire and Rescue personnel acted quickly to rescue a man who fell while paragliding here on Monday. Ranau Fire and Rescue Station Chief PPgB Rantey Fred said the incident occurred at Ranau Paragliding Park, Jalan Kompleks Sukan Ranau at about 12.50pm. 'A call was received via the MERS999 line at 12.59pm and a group of seven fire personnel, led by Operations Commander, PBKI Becket Gumat, rushed to the location. 'Upon arriving at the scene located 8km from the station, we found that a victim was injured after falling while paragliding in the area where he was about to take-off. 'The 30-year-old victim was reported to have strayed and fallen into the bush and got out on his own before the arrival of the fire and rescue team,' he said. According to Rantey, the victim was given initial treatment by the Ministry of Health Medical Officer at the scene and was then taken to the hospital in an ambulance for further treatment. 'After ensuring there was no further danger, the operation was ended at 1.31pm,' he said. The incident on Monday happened while the strong wind phenomenon is about to wear off a little bit, as paragliding enthusiasts took the opportunity to engage in the activity. Rantey advised the public to make safety a priority by restricting other outdoor activities for the time being and make sure small children are looked after when they are outside. 'Should anyone hear or see any hazardous situation in their areas, please notify the authority concerned. The public can reach us via the 999 emergency line or call the Fire Station at 088-878779. We are ready to help,' he said. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Barnama
21-07-2025
- 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
18-07-2025
- General
- Sinar Daily
When every second counts: How fake calls put lives at risk
KOTA BHARU - Behind the routine sound of an emergency call ringing lies a harsh, often overlooked reality: every fake call isn't a harmless prank - it can mean the difference between saving a life and losing one. Kelantan Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) director Farhan Sufyan Borhan said that although Malaysia's emergency response system has become increasingly sophisticated through the Malaysian Emergency Response Services (MERS) 999, fake and prank calls continue to pose a serious challenge, often disrupting critical rescue operations. "Fake calls occur when the caller provides a full address, but upon arrival, no real incident has taken place. Prank calls, on the other hand, involve the caller remaining silent, making jokes, or merely seeking attention. The key difference is that prank calls are usually filtered by Telekom Malaysia (TM) before they reach us,' he told Bernama recently. He also recalled his experience before the implementation of MERS 999, when the fire department had to bear the cost of every incoming call. "Some people called because they were broken-hearted, others used public phones just to make jokes. Back then, it was the fire department that had to foot the phone bill,' he said. Now, with the MERS 999 system operated free of charge by TM, every emergency call undergoes a preliminary screening process. Additionally, caller details such as name and location are recorded to help expedite response times. Behind the routine sound of an emergency call ringing lies a harsh, often overlooked reality: every fake call isn't a harmless prank - it can mean the difference between saving a life and losing one. Photo for illustrative purposes only - Canva "By the time MERS 999 connects the call to us, the nearest fire station has already received the 'call sheet' and is preparing to deploy. However, we still need to ask the caller for more details, such as the type of fire or the condition of the victim, so the commander can better plan the operation. He added that the MERS 999 system is operated simultaneously by three call centres located in Cheras, Melaka, and Kuching in Sarawak. "If one centre is busy, the call is automatically redirected to another without affecting response time,' he said. He also addressed a common misconception among the public: "Some people assume that if a call from Sabah is routed to Sarawak, it causes delays. In reality, it doesn't; the system is designed to ensure a fast and efficient response, no matter which centre handles the call. He also recalled a tragic incident during his time in Sabah, where the fire department was accused of being late to a scene that resulted in three fatalities. "The caller gave an incomplete address, and the commander had to seek additional information. The victims weren't trapped by a locked grill, but the fire spread too quickly,' he said, adding that the case served as a critical reminder of the importance of providing complete and accurate details during emergency calls. While no fake callers have been prosecuted in Kelantan so far, Farhan Sufyan noted that in Sabah, legal action was taken after offenders were successfully traced. "We will lodge a police report for further action. These fake calls are not just a nuisance, they can delay aid to actual victims,' he stressed. He also described making fake or prank calls as not only a crime but a dangerous hobby that can cost lives. He urged the public to use the MERS 999 emergency line responsibly and only in genuine emergencies, emphasising that such irresponsible behaviour could delay help for real victims. According to Kelantan JBPM statistics, as of July 7 this year, the department has received 2,053 calls, including 796 fire cases, 1,173 rescue operations, 76 special tasks, and eight fake calls. In 2024, a total of 6,099 calls were recorded, comprising 3,112 fires, 2,755 rescues, 208 special tasks, and seven fake calls. This compares to 4,480 calls in 2023 (1,820 fires, 2,571 rescues, 82 special tasks, and seven fake calls) and 4,213 calls in 2022, which included 1,111 fires, 2,122 rescues, 978 special tasks, and two fake calls. - BERNAMA
New Straits Times
16-07-2025
- Automotive
- New Straits Times
Driver escapes with minor injuries as MPV plunges into river
ALOR SETAR: A multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) plunged into a river near Hospital Sultanah Bahiyah (HSB) last night. The 41-year-old driver, however, escaped with only minor injuries. The Kedah Fire and Rescue Department's Operations Centre said it received a distress call about the incident at 8.01pm. A team from the Alor Setar Fire and Rescue Station, led by Senior Fire Officer II Roslan Saad and comprising six personnel, was dispatched to the scene. "The Kedah operations command centre received an emergency call via the MERS 999 line, reporting that a Toyota Alphard had skidded and plunged into the river. "The victim was rescued and brought to a safe location for treatment," the department said in a statement. The victim was later taken to HSB. The operation concluded at 8.52pm. It is understood that the stretch of road near the river has seen multiple accidents, with vehicles reportedly plunging into the water in past incidents.
Daily Express
15-07-2025
- Daily Express
Small crocodile, big shock for Sandakan resident
Published on: Tuesday, July 15, 2025 Published on: Tue, Jul 15, 2025 By: Winnie Kasmir Text Size: The juvenile crocodile. SANDAKAN: A resident of the Sim-Sim Low-Cost Housing Scheme was shocked to discover a juvenile crocodile hiding beneath their home on Sunday evening. According to Captain (PA) Sulaiman Salama, Officer of the Sandakan District Civil Defence Force, an emergency call was received via the MERS 999 line at 6:47pm. Advertisement Seven personnel were immediately deployed to the scene using a Revo operations vehicle and an ambulance. The team arrived at the location by 7:12pm and successfully captured the 15kg crocodile within 25 minutes using specialised equipment. 'The crocodile's eyes were covered with a blanket, and its body securely tied with rope as a safety measure throughout the capture process,' he said. No injuries were reported during the incident, and the operation concluded at 8:19pm. The crocodile will be handed over to the Wildlife Department (JHL) for further action. The public is urged to remain vigilant and to report any sightings of wild animals to the relevant authorities to prevent unwanted incidents. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
