Walking tall: Sayani inspecting a guard-of-honour at the Fire and Rescue Department in Ipoh. — Bernama
IPOH: Despite going through a rough patch as many did not have much confidence in her ability to helm the Kedah Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) in 2019, Sayani Saidon remains undeterred from excelling in her firefighting career.
As the first woman in Malaysia to hold the position of state fire chief, the 52-year-old “Mama Yani”, as she is affectionately known by fellow firefighters, now leads the Perak JBPM, again making her the first woman to assume the post in Perak.
“My mission here is to ensure machinery and skill readiness and the welfare of personnel.
“I will continue to shoulder the trust that has been placed in me from Kedah to this state,” she told Bernama here recently.
The mother of three daughters, aged between 26 and 17, said the three aspects are crucial to achieving the state JBPM’s mission and vision and ensuring the continued improvement of services to protect people’s lives and property.
On machinery readiness, Sayani, who began her duties as JBPM Perak director earlier this month, said 70% of the tools and equipment, including operational vehicles, must always be in excellent condition and ready for use at all times.
“The remaining 30% that is not available for use must be in the repair phase.
“We cannot provide good service if firefighters are dispatched (to the scene) but (the machinery) cannot function properly. So our assets must always be in a state of readiness,” said the Perak native.
The only daughter of five siblings said firefighters’ skills in the specialised field of rescue must also be strengthened because the state has one of the longest highway networks, involving the North-South Expressway.
Sayani said the situation required her personnel to be on high alert at all times in order to deal with traffic accidents.
On the welfare of her personnel, Sayani said the aspect must be well taken care of to ensure that all of them are available for mobilisation at any time.
At the same time, Sayani said she was determined to wipe out drug abuse and disciplinary issues on her team.
Speaking about the difficulties of being a female in a male-dominated field, Sayani said her biggest challenge had been convincing the upper management that they had made the right choice in appointing her as state director.
“I took on the role of Kedah JBPM director with the belief that it was fated for me to hold the post, and I did my best to lead over 800 personnel at that time. In Perak, the challenge is even greater, as I was responsible for more than 1,000 members.
“Despite the fact that the majority of my subordinates are male, with female firefighters making up less than 5% of the total (members) in the country, being a woman does not hinder my ability to lead,” she said.
Adopting a family-like work culture, she emphasised the importance of always cooperating with officers and personnel at all levels without leaving anyone behind.
“I have always believed that everyone has a role in determining the success and excellence of the department. Everyone has a part to play and is responsible for ensuring that we are not passengers.”
On June 1, Sayani was appointed as the new director of Perak JBPM, taking over from Azmi Osman who had retired as per the mandatory retirement policy.
