Terengganu fire department to add 11 volunteer teams

The Terengganu Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) plans to add 11 Volunteer Fire Brigade (PBS) teams to its current roster of 12. This expansion aims to bring the total to 23 teams, as outlined in the JBPM Terengganu Strategic Action Plan 2026–2030.

The initiative is designed to improve emergency response times, particularly in rural or remote areas that fall outside the immediate coverage of existing fire stations. These volunteer teams will provide initial responses before official department personnel arrive at incident sites.

The move comes as the state prepares for the Northeast Monsoon, which is expected to bring three to five waves of heavy rain. Authorities have identified 460 hotspot areas across eight districts. Kuala Terengganu has the highest number of hotspots with 97 locations, followed by Dungun with 72 and Hulu Terengganu with 63. Officials expressed particular concern regarding unpredictable landslides caused by continuous heavy rainfall.