KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Progressive Party finds the inconsistent responses from the authorities, specifically BOMBA disturbing and should be addressed immediately. BOMBA should come clean and admit if there are weaknesses in the MERS999 system as a whole.
“The public deserves to know the truth to the events on that fateful early morning and on why BOMBA has failed to disclose that there were also numerous calls made direct to Penampang and Sembulan BOMBA Fire Stations? After all, the (Penampang) Fire Station is only more or less one kilometre from the fire scene, asked Edward Dagul, Deputy President of SAPP.
The Sabah State Fire and Rescue Director, Md Ali Ismail was quoted to have said that after conducting full investigation, it was found that the Firefighting team was despatched from Penampang Fire Station a mere three minutes from receiving the call, but was delayed due to wrong address given by the caller.
“In yesterday’s papers, the actual caller even disputed the times quoted and whether the team dispatched actually knew or was at least familiar with the area’s locality, stressed Edward.
It is equally disturbing to read in the papers that information was initially withheld from the public, citing that time of the Firefighting team’s arrival at the fire scene was “rahsia”.
“What was so confidential that the Department had refused to volunteer such information?” asked Edward.
These disputing reports and questions needs to be answered by BOMBA to nurture public trust in the system.
Edward concluded by saying that four lives were lost in the incident and in order to prevent lapses of this nature recurring in the future, a proper review of the BOMBA’s Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) is needed and it should start with an in-depth fact finding investigation on the case.-pr/BNN
