PUTRAJAYA : Thirty new fire stations nationwide are expected to be completed soon and will start operation by end 2018.
Urban Well-being, Housing and Local Government Minister Tan Sri Noh Omar said the Fire and Rescue Department would need 960 personnel to assist the operation of the new fire stations.
"We have applied to Public Service Department to recruit more fire fighters and staff for these fire stations. To ensure the operation runs smoothly, we will buy more assets as allocated in the 2018 Budget.
"Working in the Fire and Rescue Department has become more challenging. We hope the new fire stations will ease the department in dealing with the challenges and help the community," he told reporters after attending the ministry's monthly assembly today.
During his speech at the event, Noh also announced that the department would receive two AgustaWestland AW189 helicopters equipped with the latest technology worth RM100 million each.
They will also receive 19 aerial ladder platforms with a height-reach of 37 metres worth RM4.3 million each which will be delivered in stages.
Until October this year, the department had attended to 73,507 emergency calls, including 25,522 for fire and 45,747 rescue calls.
At the event, the department signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Solid Waste Corporation to enhance collaboration in related fields, providing information on issues involving safety and hygiene, implementing social responsibility programmes and the adoption of 3R (recycle, reuse and reduce) practices.
The ministry also signed the privatisation agreement with Melaka Foundation to implement the department's land conversion project in Cheng, Melaka.