SSOC is located in a purpose-built office in Dewan Jubli Perak, Shah Alam. — Filepic
HAVE you ever wondered how different agencies are alerted and work together in times of disaster, such as floods, or even coordinate state initiatives?
In Selangor, there is a dedicated unit set up by the state government to oversee both efforts.
Called the Smart Selangor Operations Centre (SSOC), it covers disaster management as well as programmes developed under the Smart Selangor initiatives.
SSOC is jointly monitored by the State Disaster Management Unit (UPBN) and SSDU Innovations Sdn Bhd, also known as Smart Selangor Delivery Unit (SSDU). It falls under the purview of the State Economic Planning Unit.
It started as a pilot project in July 2017 at SSDU’s previous office in Plaza Perangsang, Shah Alam before being relocated to Dewan Jubli Perak in Bangunan Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah in Shah Alam.
Originally, the centre was meant to keep tabs on SSDU initiatives and applications such as free bus routes, waste management and even parking apps.
But the functions were later expanded and it now acts as a centralised monitoring centre for disaster incidents and presents a consolidated display of live analytics data from Smart Selangor applications.
Mohd Ikram (right) speaking to SSOC staff. The centre is manned by officers from UPBN and SSDU. – KK SHAM/The Star
Staff from UPBN and SSDU are stationed at the centre where they monitor daily operations on large-screen data dashboards.
Selangor UPBN principal assistant secretary Mohd Ikram Rahimi spoke to StarMetro about how the unit works with the centre, which cost RM6mil to build, in disseminating information and coordinating disaster management.
“UPBN Selangor was established in 2014. Selangor was the first state in Malaysia to set up a dedicated unit for disaster management,” he said.
Mohd Ikram said previously, disaster management in Selangor used to come solely under the Civil Defence Force (APM), which is a federal-level agency.
“The state government felt that there was a need to set up a dedicated unit in Selangor to ensure smoother coordination between state, district and local agencies if there were to be a disaster or need for aid coordination within the state.
“To this end, in Selangor, UPBN jointly works with APM as the disaster secretariat.
“It is not a question of overlapping roles but strengthening coordination and networking at both state and federal levels,” he said, adding that Penang, Sarawak and Kelantan subsequently set up similar units.
There are three levels of disaster management, he explained.
The routes of rubbish trucks and the time taken to complete a trip are also monitored by the system.
The district level is led by the district officer while the state level is led by the state secretary (if a disaster involves multiple districts) and the national level is led by the National Disaster Management Agency director-general (if a disaster involves multiple states).
Data from agencies
According to Mohd Ikram, UPBN officers are trained to handle all types of disasters.
Some of the more common ones that they handle involve flood, landslide, plane crash, chemical pollution and, in recent years, Covid-19 virus management.
They monitor disaster management-related information for the state based on data given by federal agencies, such as weather reports by the Malaysian Meteorological Department, air pollutant index by the Department of Environment and river levels by the Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID).
An internally developed Selangor Government Data Exchange System (SelGDX) is used to collate the information and automate reports detailing the weather report, air pollutant index, high tides and other relevant data.
“The system is set to generate fresh reports when there are updates, such as for bad weather.
“When a report is generated, UPBN will forward it to all district-level disaster management agencies, which will then forward it to village chiefs and community leaders to alert them of a potential disaster.
“The reports were previously done manually so there was a higher tendency for errors. But SelGDX allows us to automate reports using a set format so there are no worries about wrong data.”
During the December 2021 floods that inundated Taman Sri Muda, Shah Alam and parts of Selangor, SSOC served as the disaster management centre to coordinate rescue work, aid and logistics. – Filepic
For example, when the SSOC is alerted about a high tide incident, UPBN coordinates with the National Hydrographic Centre and DID to issue a circular with details on possible high tides at specific locations, dates and times.
“Government agencies such as the Fire and Rescue Department, police, DID and APM would be alerted and be on standby to monitor the situation, especially at low-lying areas.
“SSOC will forward alerts to the relevant district agencies to do their own monitoring.
“If there is need for additional help, a district agency will inform us and UPBN will get assistance from other agencies, like borrowing additional water pumps or requesting for more manpower.”
During the December 2021 floods that inundated Taman Sri Muda and parts of Selangor, Mohd Ikram said SSOC served as the disaster management centre to coordinate rescue work, aid and logistics as well as a call centre where people called for evacuation, welfare aid, volunteer service and any form of help.
“One of the things we found lacking during the December 2021 floods was communication, as telecommunication networks were affected by the disaster.
“So we ran simulation training sessions last year to enhance communication in terms of coordination and reporting.
“We are also preparing for the purchase of a Government Integrated Radio Network system that relies on radio frequency as an alternative communications system.”
Efficient logistics
Mohd Ikram said SSOC officially started operations at Dewan Jubli Perak in January 2021.
“It is located within the state government office complex for more efficient logistics and meeting purposes,” he added.
SSOC has CCTV installed at Smart Selangor bus stops and selected public facilities. — Filepic
Meanwhile, SSDU staffers who are stationed at SSOC oversee initiatives or systems developed under Smart Selangor, such as the free bus service, parking app, solid waste collection and pothole reporting system using the Waze app.
“These are closely monitored for claims, analysis and auditing purposes,” said Mohd Ikram.
“For the bus service, the system monitors the route a bus is plying, number of passengers, conducts route analysis and creates alerts if there are internal bus emergencies.
“For waste collection, the system monitors a rubbish truck’s route and the time taken to complete a trip.”
On future plans for SSOC, Mohd Ikram said it will be integrating Internet of Things (IoT) for better monitoring works and linking CCTV camera networks under local councils to SSOC.
The system monitors the Smart Selangor free bus service routes, number of passengers, conducts route analysis and creates alerts in the event of emergencies. — Filepic
“One example of IoT integration is to install a sensor system to monitor water levels in the drainage network around peat or forest areas that are prone to fires.
“If the water level within a particular drainage system in a peat area is too low, it will trigger an alert to pump water to irrigate the drains to reduce chances of peat fire.”
As for CCTV linkage, Mohd Ikram said the SSOC had a limited CCTV network installed at Smart Selangor bus stops and public facilities but hoped to have more extensive coverage by including the CCTV network monitored by local councils for enforcement, traffic and crime monitoring purposes.
