Two more water rescue units will be established in Selangor

SHAH ALAM: The Selangor Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) will establish two more teams of the Water Rescue Unit (PPDA), the latest by early next year, says its director Azmi Osman.
He said the two new units would be stationed at the Selayang Fire and Rescue Station and the Kuala Lumpur International Airport Fire and Rescue Station, Sepang.
"At the moment, the PPDA units are only available at the Shah Alam and the Port Klang Fire and Rescue stations and with only 41 personnel left following the death of six firefighters during a search and rescue operation at the disused mining pond in Taman Putra Perdana, Puchong last Wednesday," he told reporters.
He was met by reporters after the handing over of cash donations to the families of the fallen six PPDA personnel from the production team of the Paskal the Movie, Hiking and Camping Around Malaysia (HACAM) and the Mountain Search and Rescue Society Malaysia (MOSARS) here today.
Also present were film director Adrian Teh and and actors Hairul Azreen, Theeban G, Jasmine Suraya Chin, and Ammar Alfian.
Azmi denied allegations by some quarters that the six PPDA personnel who were killed did not know how to swim.
He said every member selected to be a part of the PPDA had to undergo fitness tests, physical endurance and to possess efficient swimming skills before being sent for water rescue courses.
"Once they qualified to be a part of the PPDA unit, they are required to take 10 hours of swimming and water rescue courses every month to improve their skills, so the allegations that the six divers didn't know how to swim is baseless," he said.
Azmi said the recent heart-breaking tragedy did not break the spirit of its personnel, particularly the PPDA units, from continuing to serve the community.
"The spirit of our personnel is very high, in fact there are three new members are currently undergoing training to join the PPDA unit," he said.
In the 9.15pm incident, the six killed PPDA personnel comprised four members from the Port Klang Fire and Rescue station namely Mohd Fatah Hashim, 34; Izatul Akma Wan Ibrahim, 32; Mazlan Omarbaki, 25, and Yahya Ali, 24, while the other two from the Shah Alam fire and Rescue station, namely, Adnan Othman, 33, and Muhammad Hifdzul Malik Shaari, 25. — Bernama