(From left) Mohamad Hamdani, Law, Sim and Terry show their 2019 APC awards.
MIRI: The Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) Zone 6 recorded a first in Malaysia when its chief and all three fire station heads were each awarded the 2019 Excellent Service Award (APC).
Bomba Miri chief Law Poh Kiong, Miri Central Fire Station chief Mohamad Hamdani Madon, Lopeng Fire Station chief Terry Robson Forance Nyanggau, and Marudi Fire Station chief Maureen Sim received the APCs from Bomba Sarawak director Khirudin Drahman at a ceremony held in Curtin University Malaysia auditorium, here yesterday.
Law thanked the department’s top management as well as the state and federal governments for the recognition given to him and the three fire station chiefs under his jurisdiction.
“This has never happened in our country and for the first time, it has happened in Sarawak when the zone chief and his station chiefs received the APC at the same time.
“We are overwhelmed and it is an honour for Zone 6 Miri as the efforts of its officers and members are appreciated by the country,” he told a press conference after the ceremony.
Meanwhile Sim, who joined Bomba in 2007 at Miri Central Fire Station before helming the Marudi station in 2017, has so far received three APCs.
“Steady cooperation, constant tolerance and always staying positive is the recipe for success,” she said.
Three districts, namely Marudi, Telang Usan and Beluru, as well as the four sub-districts of Mulu, Bario, Long Bedian and Tinjar are under the care of Marudi Fire Station.
“Covering a vast rural area of 22,036 square kilometres is not easy, especially with lack of personnel and infrastructure.
“We also sacrifice our time with our loved ones to stay in the interior away from home,” said Sim when asked about some of the challenges faced in her 13 years of service.
APC 2019 Siri 2 involved 51 recipients from Zone 4, 5, 6 and 7 of the northern zone while Siri 1 for the southern zone was held in Kuching on June 26.
A total of 113 Bomba personnel from Sarawak received the 2019 APC awards.