BALING – The Kedah Civil Defence Force (APM) will carry out basic rescue training for the Kampung Iboi community near here to ensure the residents are prepared for the possibility of floods during the transition phase of the northeast monsoon season.
Kedah APM director Lt Col Awang Askandar Ampuan Yaacub said the basic training was related to water rescue, including increasing confidence of being in the water and boat handling would be carried out soon.
“… the community here requested us to carry out training to increase their confidence (of being in the water) as well as in water rescue and boat handling. We will conduct this basic training so that the community here (in Kampung Iboi) can provide early aid with the skills they have,” he told Bernama.
He said this after carrying out a survey of Kampung Iboi and meeting village head Nor Mohamad Che Hussain to discuss early preparations of the villagers with the cooperation of the Kedah APM to deal with floods, which are expected to occur during the northeast monsoon seasons from November until next March.
Elaborating, Awang Askandar said they have deployed assets like fiber boats, engines, life jackets and paddles with the help of the Al-Najah Community Civil Defence Emergency Response Team (CDERT) from Alor Setar for the use of residents in Kampung Iboi.
“From the feedback we received the last flood incident, the residents could not help save those affected because they did not have boats, engines, paddles, life jackets… so, now they will be able to provide early help with the provision of this equipment. The Al-Najah CDERT is also willing to make Kampung Iboi ts adopted village,” he said.
In addition, he said they will also train the Kampung Iboi community to set up a CDERT for them to take early action to manage disasters, especially floods in their area. – Bernama
