SHAH ALAM, Sept 30 — More than 2,000 volunteers and support personnel from the Selangor Civil Defence Force (APM) are ready to be mobilised for rescue operations and disaster response across the state.
Selangor APM director YS Kol (PA) Fazlisyah Muslim said the personnel are supervised by the agency’s permanent officers and can be deployed as needed during disasters or emergencies.
He said Selangor APM’s mobilisation capabilities are also strengthened through a zone-based system that allows support to be deployed between districts, as well as cooperation with neighbouring states, including APM units in the Federal Territories and Perak.
“At present, Selangor APM has more than 2,000 personnel, comprising volunteers and other support personnel who can assist us when disasters occur.
“Although we may face constraints in terms of logistics and personnel, we can overcome them through cooperation with neighbouring states,” he told Media Selangor.
He was speaking after the Setia Assembly and the 74th Civil Defence Anniversary celebration at Dewan Jubli Perak here today.
Meanwhile, Fazlisyah said disaster preparedness should not depend solely on rescue agencies, with members of the public also needing the knowledge and ability to respond independently during the crucial period before help arrives.
He said APM’s role extends beyond responding to disasters and includes strengthening community preparedness through training and awareness programmes.
“The role of civil defence is not only about responding when a disaster occurs. More importantly, before that response is needed, we provide training to the community.
“We seek support from all parties, including the media, to highlight the importance of the public being able to respond independently before rescue agencies arrive. We want to prevent loss of life or greater losses,” he said.
In a related development, Fazlisyah said Selangor APM continues to conduct various initiatives, including the Kampung Siaga programme, public training and awareness programmes to improve community knowledge and preparedness for disasters and emergencies.
“Continued cooperation between APM, government agencies, non-governmental organisations and communities is important to broaden awareness and ensure early action can be taken more effectively when disasters occur,” he said.
