KUANTAN: The soon-to-be-built RM8 million Pulau Tioman fire and rescue station in Kampung Tekek will be the first in the country to have immediate access to water and land transportation.
Pahang Fire and Rescue Department director Datuk Dr Wan Mohammad Zaidi Wan Isa said the fire station, which would be built facing the sea, adopts the hybrid concept, where rescue boats will be deployed through the sea route in case of a fire incident.
"The concept has been agreed upon due to the lack of proper transportation accessibility.
"It will allow the department's boats to respond to emergencies in case of fire incidents at the nearby villages including Kampung Salang, Genting and Paya.
"Land assets will focus on emergencies near Kampung Tekek.
"Parking bays will be provided at the fire station for our rescue boats and the boats will not be stationed at the jetty," he said.
He said this when met after handing volunteer firemen teams or Pasukan Bomba Sukarela grants to 29 units at the Indera Mahkota Fire and Rescue Department headquarters, here, today.
Wan Mohammad Zaidi said the site for the new fire station had been identified near the Pulau Tioman Marine Park in Tekek and there were plans to build staff quarters to house the some 30 personnel on duty.
Besides the Pulau Tioman fire station, the federal government has approved a RM4 million allocation for the construction of the Benta fire station in Lipis, and RM5 million to upgrade the Bentong fire station, he said.
"The department is currently in talks with the Pahang government to complete the land acquisition process for the Tioman and Benta fire station.
"Once the land matters are sorted out, construction works will begin.
"The fire truck engine bay at the Bentong fire station will be completely demolished to make way for a new premises, and we hope the tender will be issued by the Public Works Department at the end of this year," he said, adding the upgrading works for the Bentong fire station will be carried out on the existing site.
On Sultan of Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah Riayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah's decree to build a new fire station at Tanjung Lumpur, Wan Mohammad Zaidi said the department was in the midst of identifying a suitable site in Penor.
"Currently, the people there rely on the Kuantan and Peramu fire stations that are located quite a distance. We began discussions with the district officer to sort out the land matters (to identify suitable land).
"The Fire and Rescue Department's headquarters has been informed about the proposal to build a new fire station in Tanjung Lumpur in obtaining a special budget," he said.
On Aug 19, Al-Sultan Abdullah when visiting fire victims at Taman Pinggiran Putra, Tanjung Lumpur here said it was high time for a fire station to be built in Tanjung Lumpur as every year fire incidents were reported in the vicinity.