00:00Firefighting operations in Malaysia are being severely hampered by illegal encroachments
00:07on public roads and lanes, according to fire officials.
00:11The Fire and Rescue Department requires a six-metre clearance for their emergency vehicles,
00:16but parked cars, illegal structures and roadside businesses frequently block these critical
00:21access routes.
00:23Kuala Lumpur Fire and Rescue Department Director, Senior Assistant Fire Commissioner Hassan
00:28As'ari Omar, said these obstructions pose a serious threat during emergencies when rapid
00:34response is crucial.
00:35There is a lot of concern about access when it comes to encroachments.
00:45If it involves access to bombs, access to bomber jets, according to our law, UK, it
00:55is 146 metres.
00:57The Uniform Building By-laws or UBBL 1984, amended in 2021, is a nationwide regulation
01:04under the Street, Drainage and Building Act 1974, outlining requirements for fire appliance
01:11access to ensure effective firefighting and rescue operations.
01:15It mandates a minimum six-metre width for access ways to accommodate emergency vehicles.
01:21Hassan clarified that this requirement applies to all public areas, including side lanes
01:27and back lanes.
01:29Any obstruction, whether from illegal extensions, furniture, trees, planters or any other obstructions,
01:36constitutes an offence.
01:37It's not just buildings, it's not just additional buildings, even trees, any obstacles that
01:44may obstruct access to bombs, we are very concerned about it because it disrupts rescue
01:52operations or fire extinguishing operations.
01:55It may, when there is an access obstruction, there is a high possibility of a delay in
02:05the operation.
02:07It is difficult for bomber jets to enter, it is difficult for firefighters to perform
02:14their operations because there is an obstruction.
02:17To address these challenges, the department has launched several initiatives.
02:22The Teman Pilih Bomba, or Friend of Hydrants Program, encourages residents to monitor nearby
02:28hydrants against misuse.
02:30The department also conducts educational outreach across all community levels, from kindergartens
02:37to local neighbourhoods, teaching fire safety and emergency response.
02:42We have Teman Pilih Bomba, to teach and educate the community so that they love Pilih Bomba,
02:52so that Pilih Bomba is always in good condition, functional and can be used.
03:00When there is a problem with Pilih Bomba, they should always contact nearby hydrants
03:06as they know that Pilih Bomba can be damaged.
03:10Pilih Bomba is a very important weapon for firefighters.
03:18Water access is another critical concern.
03:21Fire teams rely on both hydrants and alternative water sources, such as rivers and lakes.
03:27We have two water sources.
03:30The first is the water source from Pilih Bomba, which is our weapon.
03:35The second is the open water source, such as rivers, lakes, lakes and so on.
03:45If there is no Pilih Bomba in the incident area, we will look for where the open water source is.
03:54It can be used as a weapon to put out the fire.
04:01Based on 2024 data, Kuala Lumpur has 18,424 fire hydrants,
04:07comprising 12,280 public hydrants and 6,144 private hydrants.
04:14Public hydrants are painted red, while private hydrants are painted yellow to distinguish them.
04:20Hassan says the department has conducted 20,505 inspections on all hydrants
04:27to ensure they were in working condition,
04:29with some hydrants being inspected more than once.
04:33Under Section 26 of the Fire Services Act 1988,
04:37concealing or tampering with fire hydrants is illegal.
04:41Anyone who conceals or tampers with or blocks the Pilih Bomba
04:46is committing a crime and can be compounded.
04:51We can take action under the Fire Services Act.
04:54We can compound them.
04:57If the compound is not paid, we can take the case to court.
05:03If the compound is not paid, we can take the case to court.
05:12Hassan also said that while they continue to raise public awareness
05:16and maintain dialogue with authorities about these challenges,
05:19community involvement is essential for protecting this critical emergency infrastructure.
05:33For more UN videos visit www.un.org
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