LAHAD DATU: Understanding the laws governing fire safety, on top of learning rescue drills and refresher sessions, will make better volunteers.

The session in progress

This is stated by Tawau Zone Fire and  Rescue Chief, Sukur Hatta, at a recent event here with 18 member companies of the POIC Emergency Mutual Aid (PEMA) here.

The PEMA volunteers, drawn from companies operating in the POIC Lahad Datu industrial park, have since PEMA’s inception (2014), undergone practical safety and emergency response training under the expert eye of the Fire and Rescue Department Malaysia, Sabah.

The incorporation of the latest workshop on understanding the numerous laws governing areas like fire safety, rescue, forensics are to ensure the knowledge development of PEMA members and make them better volunteers, said Sukur.

The Fire & Rescue Department plans to conduct a bigger scale simulation in the next few months.

Forty (40) members from the POIC Lahad Datu investor community took part in the workshop where they learned in greater details about the functions and operation of the Fire and Rescue Department.

Meanwhile, a two day PEMA blood donation campaign was earlier held on June 19 th – 20 the at POIC Lahad Datu. The blood donation was the tenth campaign by PEMA. Hospital authorities have acknowledged the annual campaign as a vital contributor to the Blood Bank, besides its role in raising awareness about the meaning of being blood donors. The campaign managed to gather 74 pints for the blood bank.

POIC Sabah spokesperson, Malvina Flant, Head of Corporate Communications Department commended the Fire  and Rescue Department for the central role it played in guiding PEMA and the cooperation in has given in the skills and knowledge in the upgrading of PEMA.

“We have not only cultivated a team of capable first response volunteers, but the process also contributed to the improvement of working relations between us at POIC and our multinational investors. It is a platform we value and will continue to grow.”-pr/BNN