PUTRAJAYA, Jan 30 — The Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) has expressed concern over the sharp increase in false emergency calls received over the past three years, as they not only waste resources but can also undermine rescue operations.
Its director-general Datuk Seri Nor Hisham Mohammad said 141 false calls were recorded in 2023, 196 in 2024, and 255 last year.
“For every call received, we will respond as best as we can. There have been cases where our personnel were already halfway to the scene before the caller informed us that it was a false alarm, and there have also been incidents where, upon arrival, the alleged incident did not occur at all.
“This results in losses in terms of time, logistics, and finances, but what concerns us most is that when we respond to areas due to false calls, we create gaps in coverage as fire engines and personnel are deployed far from their main coverage areas,” he told the media after the JBPM 2026 Annual Parade today.
Hisham added that the situation leaves areas near fire stations unprotected, and that if genuine emergencies occur, assistance must be drawn from other stations, thereby disrupting the effectiveness of emergency response.
To address this, the department will hold discussions with the Communications Ministry to find effective solutions to reduce the number of false calls.
As a mitigation measure, JBPM is emphasising more effective early communication between control room officers and callers to obtain detailed information before deploying a full response.
“In certain situations, officers will exercise sound judgement on whether it is necessary to deploy fire engines or to send assessment officers first.
“Communication in the control room is very important because what may be considered trivial by some may be a real emergency for others,” he said.
