SHAH ALAM, May 24 — Temporary helipads will be built in strategic areas as early as July in several forests and mountain areas in Selangor that are popular for climbing activities to facilitate and expedite rescue missions, especially involving hikers.
Selangor Fire and Rescue Department of Malaysia (JBPM) director Norazam Khamis said the move was among the steps agreed upon as a result of discussions with the Selangor Forestry Department to help victims who go missing or in cases of drownings, injuries or deaths in forest areas.
“The temporary helipads will help facilitate rescue work because there had been occasions where our rescue team had to carry victims down from mountains. We have identified these areas with the Selangor Forestry Department and construction work is expected to begin as early as July or August,” he said at a press conference here today.
Towards this end, JBPM and the Selangor Forestry Department will focus on popular climbing spots and areas where accidents commonly occur including the Hulu Selangor forest area and Kuala Langat apart from making a formal request to the department to clear certain spots to construct the helipad area.
Meanwhile, he said more frequent patrols in ‘hotspot’ areas and advice to farmers and settlers not to conduct open burning have successfully reduced cases of forest fires.
“This year, a fire occurred only once in the Kuala Langat Selatan Forest Reserve last month and it took only three days to put the fire out compared with before this where we took around three months to control the fire from spreading,” he said.
He also said to face the current hot spell which is expected to last until next September the department would also be conducting aerial inspections.
— Bernama
