POOR response to the Fire Prevention Council Malaysia's (Fipcom) extinguisher exchange programme (EEP) - which ran from Oct 1 to Dec 31 last year - has prompted concern over the continued lack of awareness and importance of fire safety among the public-"My view is that the public is not aware that it is the first line of defence, that it is the first on the scene or is there when the fire breaks out," said Fipcom assistant secretary-general Nicholas Mun-According to Fipcom reports, the EEP accumulated a total of only 310 extinguishers through sales and trade-ins-"The public plays the most critical role in fire safety and prevention- This is because the public is the first line of defence as these people are the ones who are present when the fire breaks out- They are the ones who will be in a position to do something about the fire as and when it happens-""Without the necessary equipment and knowhow, they will not be in a position to play the role as the line of first defence," Mun noted-According to him, Fipcom will continue to push efforts to heighten awareness of fire safety through talks and programmes-Currently active in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Sabah and Sarawak, it will expand its activities into other states such as Johor-"Fipcom has always been engaging with the public and corporate citizens- In the pipeline are some programmes that will involve residents' associations in the Klang Valley which we hope will set the ball rolling in reaching out to more homeowners- The EEP is one such programme we will consider implementing again-"It will also continue to engage the public, organisations and corporations with our fire safety talks and children's programmes to help promote awareness of the importance of fire safety," Mun added-...

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