KOTA KINABALU: Bomba’s awareness campaign in the state this year will focus on fire safety prevention at tahfiz and religious schools, as well as charity homes, says the state fire chief.
“These premises are at risk of fire, based on the statistics and data collected from the peninsula, where we have also seen tahfiz school fires claiming many lives,” said Sabah Fire and Rescue Department director Nordin Pauzi.
“We don’t want to see a repeat of these tragedies in Sabah, where the growth of tahfiz schools has been encouraging,” he told reporters after an awareness event at the Kota Kinabalu City Mosque here Friday (June 8).
Sabah has not recorded any fires at tahfiz schools, said Nordin.
He said that since most tahfiz schools are renovated homes, shop-lots and offices, the department had been cooperating with school administrations, so that they will comply with security and safety standards.
“We take early measures by approaching the school administration and teaching them about the need for fire safety, safe buildings, fire prevention materials, and the proper work culture,” said Nordin.
He added that 43 out of 59 tahfiz schools in Sabah have already formed a Skuad Bomba Tahfiz (Tahfiz Fire Squad).
These squads are aimed at exposing students to hands-on fire prevention education and life-saving skills, said Nordin.
The Tahfiz Fire Squad programme started two years ago, even before the unfortunate Darul Quran Ittiffaqiyah tahfiz school fire tragedy in Kuala Lumpur last year, which claimed 23 lives.
A total of 2,395 students are involved in the Tahfiz Fire Squad, added Public Fire and Safety Branch head Henry Goliong.
“We started two years ago, and last year, we did the programme comprehensively.
“The 16 schools that haven’t formed the squad are in Beaufort, Kudat and Sandakan,” he said.
The 58 tahfiz schools statewide are those registered under the Association of Tahfiz Al-Quran Institutions (Pinta) Sabah and the Sabah Islamic Affairs Department.
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