JOHOR BARU: Any effort by the Fire and Rescue Department to modernise and improve efficiency should be encouraged as the fireman’s job scope has expanded over the years, says Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye.
The Alliance for a Safe Community chairman described firemen as “unsung heroes” who not only battle fires, but also carry out rescue operations and attend to road accidents.
“They are around to protect life and property.
“Having a Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence System for the Fire and Rescue Department (C4iFRDM), which is similar to what the police have, is a step in the right direction.
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“Every minute counts during a fire, and if firemen are able to use technology to get to the scene faster then it is a good move especially with increasing public expectation,” he said, adding that the use of body cameras for firemen and dashboard cameras in fire engines would ensure accountability and transparency.
Lee said he hoped the C4iFRDM could be implemented in all 344 fire stations nationwide once the pilot project was completed.
“The government should ensure adequate funding is given for its implementation nationwide,” he said, adding that besides digitalisation, the government should also look at ways to detect and identify prank callers.
Lee said this long standing problem, faced by the Fire and Rescue Department, needed to be looked into as it was a waste of money and resources.
Shah Alam Volunteer Fire Brigade head Datuk Dr Ken Foo said the response time during a fire was vital, and leaning on the C4iFRDM to help firemen reach the scene faster was encouraging.
“Although the system is still in the pilot stage, we hope to be able to use some of its features especially when reporting to the fire operations room on our location and manpower during an emergency.
“This reduces the need for manual reporting,” said Dr Foo, who has been a volunteer for the past eight years.
He said after a fire, the scene was usually a mess and using technology to manage inventory such as fire fighting equipment was equally important.
“Fire hoses are expensive. Some are between RM3,000 to RM5,000 as they have to withstand certain temperatures,” he said.
Transparency International-Malaysia president Dr Raymon Ram said while the introduction of body cameras and dash cameras support transparency, these must be accompanied by a proper rules-based accountability system instead of being treated as a mere procurement exercise.
“Such devices can create an independent, contemporaneous record of events, improve complaint resolution, assist command staff in reviewing incidents and protect both the public and firefighters against false or incomplete accounts,” he said.
“However, international evidence also shows that cameras do not automatically improve integrity unless there are strict rules governing activation, retention, access, redaction and disciplinary action for misuse or non-use.”
Raymon said within the department, transparency was important not only in field response but also in fire safety inspections, certification, investigations and the procurement of digital systems.
“I hope that they (Fire and Rescue Department) will publish the rules, not just deploy the devices,” he said.
The public, he said, should be informed about when cameras must be activated, when they may be paused, how long footage was kept, who had access, when it could be disclosed, how third-party identities were protected through redaction and penalties for officers’ non-compliance.
