NINETY per cent out of 14,500 fire personnel nationwide are fully vaccinated against Covid-19, Fire and Rescue Department director-general Mohammad Hamdan Wahid said.

He said the remaining 10% have not been vaccinated due to several factors, including health problems.

Hamdan said as the first responders in any operation it was mandatory for firemen to get inoculated to protect them from the virus.

“We are targeting to vaccinate all personnel for their health and safety because they will the first responders in operations during disasters such as floods.

“They are also required to comply with the standard operating procedure such as wearing the personal protective equipment as well as undergo real-time RT-PCR tests on a regular basis,” he said.

He said this at a press conference after a making a working visit and a wearing of ranks ceremony at the Kelantan headquarters in Kota Baru today. – Bernama, September 19, 2021.