JOHOR BARU, Dec 29 — The Ayer Hitam Fire and Rescue Station (BBP) in Jalan Kluang-Batu Pahat, Ayer Hitam in Kluang will become the regional forward base (RFB) if major flooding occurs in Johor.

This is among the suggestions put forward by the Johor Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) as part of efforts to prepare for the possibility of floods, especially during the north-east monsoon season, said its director Siti Rohani Nadir.

"If a major flood occurs in Johor, we usually get assistance from other states in terms of additional assets and personnel. So, they will go to the RFB first before being deployed to the flood-hit areas.

"We chose the Ayer Hitam BBP as the RFB because the station is situated on high ground and it rarely floods there. In addition, it is centrally located in Johor, which makes it easier in terms of movement,” she told Bernama in an interview recently.

In addition, Siti Rohani said the JBPM has also created two rapid action teams, with each comprising 13 personnel, to assist any states requiring assistance during floods or any disaster.

"We will equip each rapid action team with one land and one sea vehicle to facilitate their movement. This team will also have members from the Water Rescue Team (PPDA),” she said.

She said the rapid action teams, which have also been set up in every state, will be mobilised to assist other states not only in terms of rescue missions but also in any search and rescue tasks involving drowning or missing cases.

Siti Rohani, who only took over the helm at the Johor JBPM in June, said the Johor JBPM, which has 1,300 officers and other rank and file, has been prepared to face the possibility of floods since October.

"Our officers and personnel are on standby at all stations and the headquarters and we have asked the volunteer fire-fighting team, with 280 volunteers, to also be on standby for floods.

"Other preparations, in terms of assets and logistics, have also been in place since October,” she said.

As such, she hopes that the coordination with other agencies thus far will continue to ensure all operations can be carried out smoothly.

She said that based on the statistics issued by the Department of Drainage and Irrigation DID), 745 locations in 10 districts in Johor have been identified as flood-prone areas.

"Previously, floods occurred in many areas in the districts of Segamat, Mersing, Kluang, Tangkak and Batu Pahat, so these are among the areas we will be focusing on more based on previous cases,” she said.

Of the 745 locations, 186 are in Batu Pahat and 103 in Segamat, with the two districts recording the highest number of flood-prone locations, she added.

She also advised the public to always comply with instructions from the authorities to move and keep abreast of the latest developments on weather and high tides.

"In addition, do not just wade through floodwaters and parents must always monitor their children’s activities and not let them play in floodwaters,” she added. — Bernama