| James Kon |
MEMBERS of the National Beach Safety Taskforce from government agencies yesterday stepped forward to commend and welcome the initiatives of Beach Bunch.
The Beach Bunch has installed public rescue equipment at two of the country’s most popular beaches – in Muara and Berakas – to raise awareness of safety measures.
Representatives from the Fire and Rescue Department, National Disaster Management Centre and Forestry Department as well as various sponsors yesterday visited the respective beaches where the installation of life-rings with ropes and signage on the dangers of rip current were installed.
In an interview at the Berakas Forest Reserve Beach, Senior Superintendent Noor Aflan bin Kachi from the Fire and Rescue Department said, “This is a good initiative done by the Beach Bunch.
“The installation of the rip signage will remind visitors, especially beachgoers, of the danger of rip current to prevent any tragic incidents from occurring.
“The signage also displays contacts numbers so that members of the public will know what to dial when there is an emergency.”
On the installation of life-rings, he commented, “The first step to rescuing a person who is drowning is using a life-ring.
“However, I advise that members of the public do not act alone when trying to rescue a drowning person because rip currents can drag anyone into danger.”
His advice is rather to contact the Fire and Rescue Department immediately if anyone is in trouble and to ensure that the rescuer is experienced and familiar with the proper procedures.
As an extra precautionary measure, he added that personnel from the Fire and Rescue Department will also frequently observe the popular beaches every weekend.
Meanwhile, Pengiran Haji Sabli bin Pengiran Damit, the Acting Assistant Director of National Disaster Management Centre, highlighted, “We support this initiative from Beach Bunch to install public rescue equipment, which is also in line with our aspirations of disaster reduction.”
He also said that he hopes members of the public will make good use of the life-rings and not vandalise the equipment.
The President of Beach Bunch, Riza Latif, with representatives of government agencies and stakeholders at the Berakas Forest Reserve Beach. – JAMES KON
SC Tubular Solution (B) Sdn bhd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sumitomo Corporation, sponsored the Beach Bunch’s life-saving programme as well as the signage and life-rings at the Muara, Berakas and Tungku beaches.
Gary Goh, a representative of SC Tubular Solution (B) Sdn Bhd, said, “On behalf of our office, we are excited to be part of this initiative and be able to demonstrate our HSE commitment to Brunei and its community.”
Through the initiative, he added, “We hope to provide access to safer beaches in the country, which is in line with the mission and vision of SC Tubular Solution (B) Sdn Bhd, to provide health and safety to Brunei and the wider community.”
Progresif Cellular has also vowed to continue their support for Beach Bunch and help make the country’s beaches safer.
Hafiza binti Mohamad, the Corporate Communications Manager of Progresif Cellular, said, “We have supported Beach Bunch in various activities in line with our CSR’s initiative on environmental conservation.
“We want to congratulate the Beach Bunch for the installation and are looking at how to further support their initiative.”
The President of Beach Bunch Riza Latif, meanwhile, expressed his gratitude to the sponsors and government agencies for supporting the initiative to make the country’s beaches safer.
The group also visited Muara Beach yesterday, where representatives from the Department of Environment, Parks and Recreation were present.
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