Volunteer firefighters to get group insurance cover form Jan 1

The government has agreed to provide group insurance cover to volunteer firefighters starting Jan 1 next year as an incentive for the dangers they encounter on the job.

Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Chor Chee Heung said the government was mulling an allowance for the force in appreciation of their assistance in firefighting operations.

"Their contribution is important because not only do they help the Fire and Rescue Department, but also work towards raising awareness and educating the local community on how to face fire emergencies," he said in reply to a question from Datuk Dr Mohd Hayati Othman (PAS-Pendang) in the Dewan Rakyat today.

He said that to help the force carry out the duties, the ministry had also provided other forms of assistance, including fire trucks and training as well as equipment such as pumps, fire jackets, fire boots and helmets.

In addition, various programmes and training were organised by the ministry through the Fire and Rescue Department to increase knowledge and efficiency among the force at the district, state and national levels, he added.

He said that currently there were 350 volunteer firefighting teams with a total of 13,803 members nationwide.