KOTA BARU: The Kelantan Fire and Rescue Department will get a new station in Ciku next year to strengthen emergency responses, particularly over frequent road crashes in Gua Musang and Kuala Krai.
State Fire and Rescue Department director Farhan Sufyan Borhan said the project had been approved under the recent 2027 Budget with construction expected to take 30 months to complete.
He said the Category D fire station was needed to improve the department’s operational capability in areas with a high frequency of road crashes.
“In Ciku, we expect the new fire station to help address the frequent crashes in Gua Musang and Kuala Krai,” he told reporters here today.
On another matter, Farhan said the department would implement a service continuity plan at all its 22 stations during the northeast monsoon to ensure its operations remained functional in the event of major floods.
He said the plan was developed based on the impact of major floods in 2014 and 2024 which had affected some of its stations.
He said the department would identify suitable locations within local areas to ensure fire and rescue services could continue to be delivered, particularly when roads were cut off by floods.
“This is to ensure that our stations can continue operating and provide services during the monsoon season, even if access roads are disrupted.
“We may not be able to provide 100 per cent of our normal services during major floods, but we will ensure that essential operations can still be carried out,” he said.
Farhan said the service continuity plan would be implemented at stations in vulnerable areas, including Kuala Krai and Rantau Panjang, should severe flooding occur.
On leave arrangements, Farhan said firemen would continue with their normal leave schedules for now, but the situation would be reviewed depending on weather conditions and operational requirements.
“Any decision to freeze leave will depend on the prevailing situation and the level of preparedness required,” he said.