SUNGAI BESAR, Sept 13 — About 200 more fire stations of various categories will be built nationwide to meet the long term needs of the Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM).

Housing and Local Government Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin said to date, JBPM has 327 fire stations of various categories.

"We are also targeting to have a total of 520 fire stations of various categories throughout the country in the long term,” she told reporters after launching the North Selangor Zone Community Fire and Rescue Department here today.

Meanwhile, Zuraida said so far, JBPM has 50 community fire-fighting teams in Sabah and the effort is continued by creating five more community fire-fighting teams in Selangor involving areas in Sekinchan, Sabak Bernam and Sungai Besar.

"Community firefighters are important because they are the ones who will act as first responders in the event of any accident and fire in an area,” she said. — Bernama