PUTRAJAYA: The government has approved an allocation of RM291.4 million this year to upgrade all facilities and increase assets belonging to the Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM), Minister of Housing and Local Government Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican.

"The allocation was approved by the Ministry of Finance specifically to ensure that our fire and rescue services will be on par with developed countries," he said when opening the Seminar on Uniform Building By-Laws 1984 (Amendment 2021) here today.

Through the allocation, he said JBPM will receive in stages six units of Fire and Rescue Boat (FRB) worth RM15.5 million, five Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) robots worth RM7.5 million and 150 units of Compact Fire Rescue Tender (CFRT) worth RM145.8 million.

A total of RM49 million was set aside for the implementation of the Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligent (C4iFRDM) project to improve JBPM's emergency communication system, and another RM33.6 million to upgrade the department's Air Base Office (MOB) in Subang, Selangor, he said.

Almost RM40 million was channelled for the implementation of Phase 3 of the Eastern Region Malaysian Fire and Rescue Academy project, which encompasses the development of training facilities such as the Swift Water Training Simulator, Water Rescue Training Complex, Highway Emergency and Traffic Accident Rescue dan Industrial Fire Fighting Simulator, the minister said.

At a press conference later, Reezal Merican said the ministry had also submitted its wishlist for next year and hoped that the government would set aside a higher allocation for the JBPM under the 2023 Budget, which is scheduled to be tabled at Parliament on Oct 7.

-- BERNAMA