LABUAN — Members of the public are advised to exercise caution before entering the waters around Labuan due to the presence of crocodiles in the surrounding waters.
Labuan Fire and Rescue Department director PgKB I Abd Rahman Ali said no crocodile-related injury or victim cases had been reported in Labuan to date.
“So far, the presence of crocodiles in Labuan has not resulted in any harm to humans, as they remain in their natural habitats. However, some crocodiles may have ventured into the sea, and we urge members of the public to exercise extra caution when entering the water,” he told the media.
He was speaking at the Media Strategic Partnership Programme with the Labuan Fire and Rescue Department, held today at the Labuan Sentral Fire and Rescue Station.
Abd Rahman said the department also regularly received public reports of wildlife-related incidents, particularly involving snakes and hornet nests, which required the assistance of fire and rescue personnel.
On the programme, he said it was organised to familiarise media practitioners with the actual duties and responsibilities of firefighters and rescue personnel during emergency operations.
“The programme gives our media partners the opportunity to experience our daily duties in serving the public through various activities conducted under the supervision of our personnel.
“Safety, discipline, teamwork and preparedness are essential in handling emergency situations. This programme also aims to strengthen cooperation and professionalism between the Labuan media fraternity and our department,” he said.
He added that the department continued to promote safety awareness and fire prevention among the local community.
During the programme, media practitioners were first briefed on the operations of the department’s control room, including how emergency calls from the public are received and handled.
They were also shown how firefighters prepared for emergencies by putting on their protective gear and boarding fire engines and rescue vehicles to respond to incidents.
At the second checkpoint, media practitioners had the opportunity to experience using breathing apparatus (BA) equipment, which firefighters rely on during rescue operations in hazardous environments, including inside buildings.
Firefighters carry air cylinders weighing about 15 kilogrammes during such operations. Participants were briefed on the importance of monitoring their air supply and responding to warning signals indicating that the available air was running low.
At the third checkpoint, four media practitioners were given the opportunity to experience abseiling and rappelling techniques used in rescue operations at height.
The final demonstration involved the handling of chemical-related emergencies using chemical protective suits (CPS).
Fire and rescue personnel demonstrated the decontamination process, whereby affected victims must be decontaminated before being handed over to hospital staff. The personnel also undergo decontamination procedures themselves after handling hazardous substances to ensure their safety.
Before the programme concluded, the media practitioners were taken on a tour of the Community Fire Learning Centre (CFLC).
The centre serves as an educational facility for the public to learn about fire safety and the appropriate measures to take when a fire occurs, with the aim of preventing the situation from escalating.
The department also encouraged the Labuan community to visit the centre once it opens to learn more about fire prevention and emergency response.
