James Kon
A total of 126 participants, comprising personnel from the Royal Brunei Police Force (RBPF) and Emergency Medical Ambulance Services (EMAS) as well as members of Kaampong Serasa Village Consultative Council participated in a search-and-rescue exercise, organised by the Fire and Rescue Department (FRD) at Tempayan Pisang hill recently.
The exercise involved five individuals in a group who went hiking, fell into a steep gorge about 15 – 25 metres deep. All victims were injuried with one sustaining a head injury.
Commanding Officer of Operation ‘A’ Branch Acting SSFR Pengiran Haji Asmali bin Pengiran Haji Ahmad observed the activity, along with other officers.
The exercise was aimed at preparing the participants for any jungle rescue operations in the future. It involved coordinating response procedures and interoperability effectiveness between the security agencies; evaluating the effectiveness of the implementation of each agency’s emergency action plan as well as its command and control in carrying out joint operations; identifying capability gaps and preparation in enhancing the capacity of security agencies in dealing with emergencies involving search-and-rescue operations.
The FRD reminded the public, especially hikers, to always check the latest weather forecast and refrain from hiking alone and after night fall as well as inform family members of their intended hiking spot. Hikers are also urged to bring along a whistle, mobile phone and drinking water.
