JOHOR BARU: The Johor Fire and Rescue Department has urged for an increase in personnel to cope with the state's rapid development, particularly with the upcoming Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) and the Special Financial Zone (SFZ) in Forest City.
Its director, Siti Rohani Nadir, said as development progresses, the demand for building and mechanical and electrical plan certifications would rise, placing additional strain on the department.
"The growth in development will increase the workload for officers processing building plan approvals. This calls for an expansion in personnel," she said.
However, Rohani noted that the addition of personnel was not a decision to be made lightly.
"Any increase in manpower needs to consider the department's structure. While the issue is under review, no final decision has been made."
Currently, the Johor Fire Department has 1,462 personnel. In collaboration with the Malaysia Productivity Corporation, the department is pioneering the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to streamline the building plan approval process. This new system, once implemented, could reduce processing time from two weeks to just one day.
"Once this system is ready, our personnel will need to be trained in both its technical and legal aspects," Rohani added during a media briefing held at the department's headquarters today in conjunction with the 2024 voluntary firefighters' engagement session ceremony.