JOHOR BARU: Almost 500 notices have been issued by the Fire and Rescue Department to shopping malls and supermarkets to eliminate fire hazards in public areas.
Johor Fire and Rescue Department director Siti Rohani Nadir said this notice was given after the annual inspection that the department conducted, especially during the festive season.
"Last year, we conducted inspections on 775 premises and issued 498 notices to building owners for failing to adhere to rules and regulations of fire safety.
"The main task was to check that the fire safety systems were in working order, such as the break glass fire alarm, fire hydrants, fire extinguisher, and hose reel," she said.
She said this when met by reporters after the launching ceremony of the state-level Hari Raya Fire Safety Campaign at @mart Kempas, here, on Sunday (March 31).
This year, Siti Rohani said that the department had conducted 318 inspections and issued 162 notices from January to March 30.
"Fire hazards do not only cover the safety system but also the surrounding items, such as the grill doors or items that are blocking the way for residents or members of the public to escape and save themselves during emergencies," she added.
Siti Rohani also urged members of the public not to conduct any open burning activities during the current dry weather, as fire would spread much more easily.
"There might be those who are cleaning their houses from unwanted furniture or clearing their lawn from bushes or grass.
"We hope people don’t take the shortcut way of burning away things, as it is very dangerous.
"We would also like to urge landfill operators to ensure that their locations are free from any open burning activities, as incidents at such locations would usually require huge manpower and resources," she added.
As of March 30, the department had received 1,001 cases of fire incidents involving trash and bushes and 46 cases involving peatland fires, said Siti Rohani.
"The majority of the peatland fires occurred in gardens and farms in hotspot areas such as Muar, Segamat, Pengerang, Pagoh, and Mersing," she said.
Asked whether the department had decided to freeze the leave applications of their personnel for Hari Raya, Siti Rohani added that only 30% of the total 1,354 department personnel were allowed to take leave.
"But those who are on leave can still be called back to work if needed," she added.
