KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) aims to inspect a total of 17,000 buildings from various purpose groups this year.

Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming said JBPM set the target as one of the proactive measures, to increase the availability of safety installation systems in buildings in the country.

Apart from that, he said it also shows the efforts of the Ministry of Housing and Local Government (KPKT) to strengthen the fire prevention programme, to reduce losses to the national economy.

“In January alone, a total of 4,027 homestays and guest rooms were inspected for fire hazard enforcement.

“Similarly, in February, a total of 122 blocks, in 22 public housing areas, that were over 30 years old in the Kuala Lumpur city area, were also inspected,” he said in a statement today.

Meanwhile, he said that JBPM had inspected 405,529 fire hydrants nationwide, exceeding 100 per cent of the total number of public fire hydrants for the year 2023.

For this year the ministry, through JBPM, will increase the frequency of inspections of public fire hydrants, within a seven-kilometre radius of the fire station, he said.

He added that the total number of fire hydrants recorded nationwide in 2023 was 422,472 units, including 357,130 units of public fire hydrants and 65,342 of private fire hydrants.

“Apart from that, the development of the centre of Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligent (C4i) system pilot project has been implemented since March 1 and is expected to be completed in February 2026, costing RM47.74 million.

“This pilot project is to further strengthen the incident command system, to apply the latest technology, artificial intelligence and optimise big data,” he said adding that the pilot project is in line with the MADANI Government’s digitalisation policy and efforts. - Bernama