A TOTAL of 1,665 posts in the fire and rescue department, involving various ranks, will be filled soon to enhance the department’s preparedness in rescue operations.

Deputy Housing and Local Government Minister Ismail Abd Muttalib said the vacancies included top management positions that needed to be filled immediately.

“We hope the vacant posts can be filled as soon as possible,” he told reporters after visiting the Johor fire and rescue department headquarters in Johor Baru today.

“We do not want the posts to be left vacant for so long. We want to fill them so that we can provide the best service to the people.”

He said of the total 1,665 vacancies, 1,610 of them are for grade KB19 to KB38 posts, and the remaining for top management and professional positions, involving grade KB41 to KB54.

On the recruitment of women personnel, Ismail said the department is targeting about 30% of the posts to be filled by the fairer sex.

“It is our goal to ensure that 30% of the members are women because there are certain tasks that require their expertise,” he said, adding that the fire and rescue department currently has 14,516 staff members nationwide.

Johor fire and rescue department director Yahaya Madis, in his speech, said the department received 12,986 emergency calls between January and August this year, compared with 11,801 during the corresponding period last year.

“Of the total, 3,623 were fire calls, 6,516 were rescue calls and 2,840 were special calls such as for humanitarian services,” he said, adding that only seven prank calls were received during the period this year. – Bernama, September 19, 2021.