KOTA BHARU, Nov 9 — The Kelantan Fire and Rescue Department of Malaysia (JBPM) is drawing on its experience in handling the massive 2014 floods to strengthen its preparedness for potential extreme disasters in the state, said its director, Farhan Sufyan Borhan.

He said the extraordinary scale of the 2014 floods, which affected vast areas of the state, posed significant challenges to rescue operations.

“Despite having a service continuity plan to ensure fire stations remain operational even when flooded, the scale of the 2014 disaster exceeded the state’s capacity to respond using its own resources.

“At the time, we were also affected by the floods, and our only option was to accept assistance from other states,” he told Bernama recently.