RESULT REPORT
The 33rd IFCAA General Conference
October 22 & October 23, 2024
Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC)
The International Fire Chiefs’ Association of Asia (IFCAA) held the 33rd IFCAA General Conference on October 22 (Tuesday) and October 23 (Wednesday), 2024 in the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC). The 5th International Fire Conference and Exhibition Malaysia (IFCEM) and the Malaysia International Rescue Extrication Challenge (MIREC) & IFCAA Joint Drill were also held at same period. These events attracted approximately 1,900 participants from 25 countries and regions including Asian and Oceanian fire chiefs and officers as IFCAA members and delegates from other related bodies.
Opening Ceremony
The Opening Ceremony of the 33rd IFCAA General Conference took place at 10:00 a.m. on October 22 (Tuesday), 2024 in the Plenary Hall. This event coincided with the opening of IFCEM and MIREC & IFCAA Joint Drill.
The ceremony began with the Malaysian National Anthem, followed by a traditional Malaysian cultural dance performance. Greetings were then delivered by Dato' Ts. Nor Hisham bin Mohammad, Director General of the Fire and Rescue Department of Malaysia, and Tuan Nga Kor Ming, Minister of Housing and Local Government, on behalf of the conference host. IFCAA President YOSHIDA Yoshimi also delivered a welcoming address. The ceremony concluded with a launch ceremony, officially declaring the commencement of the 33rd IFCAA General Conference, IFCEM, and MIREC & IFCAA Joint Drill.
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Dato' Ts. Nor Hisham bin Mohammad
Director General of the Fire and Rescue Department of Malaysia -
Tuan Nga Kor Ming
Minister of Housing and Local Government -
YOSHIDA Yoshimi
IFCAA President -
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IFCAA Directors' Meeting
After the press conference at 10:50 a.m., the IFCAA Directors’ Meeting was held at 11:30 a.m. in Hall 8A to deliberate on the admission of new members to IFCAA and the proposals for the 33rd IFCAA General Conference. Two active members from Australia and four active members from the Philippines were approved to join the IFCAA as new members.
IFCAA General Conference
The IFCAA General Conference, chaired by IFCAA President YOSHIDA, was held at Hall 8A at 3:00 p.m. after the lunch break. IFCAA Secretary General NARUTA Kenji reported on six new IFCAA memberships. Subsequently, the following four proposals were deliberated.
PROPOSALS
Proposal 1：The Achievements and Financial Results in the 32nd Fiscal Year
Proposal 2：The Projects and Budget Plans in the 33rd Fiscal Year (Draft)
IFCAA Secretary General NARUTA explained these items, and they were agreed upon.
Proposal 3：Enhancing On-scene Fire Department Capability through International Cooperation
IFCAA Vice President Eric Yap, Commissioner of the Singapore Civil Defence Force, proposed the following resolution. It was subsequently adopted.
Asia and Oceania region have experienced numerous disasters such as earthquakes, typhoons, cyclones, torrential rains, volcanic eruptions, wildfires and landslides, resulting in devastating loss of life and property.
Recent global climate changes have worsened natural disasters, making them more frequent and causing people to be increasingly concerned about safety and to rely on the fire department more than ever before.
We, as fire chiefs or safety professionals, need to take swift and resolute action more than before. It is essential to build cooperative systems across the world and continue to dedicate ourselves to this noble mission of protecting lives and property from disasters.
Consequently, IFCAA will strengthen the teamwork among fire departments and others in the Asia-Oceania region and enhance on-scene fire department capability by and after sharing expertise and experience at our international conferences.
It was decided that the 34th General Conference will be held in Nagoya, Japan, in 2026. IFCAA Director HANDA Nobuhiro, Fire Chief of the Nagoya City Fire Bureau, Japan, delivered a message as the host of the next conference.
Approximately 100 participants (IFCAA-related)
13 countries and regions
Bahrain, Brunei Darussalam, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines,
South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam
Malaysia International Rescue Extrication Challenge (MIREC) & IFCAA Joint Drill
On October 23 (Wednesday), the opening event of MIREC & IFCAA Joint Drill was held at 9:00 a.m. in Exhibition Hall 4, followed by the IFCAA Joint Drill. Selected rescue personnel from IFCAA member fire agencies in seven countries and regions formed a joint team and demonstrated motor vehicle accident rescue skills and techniques.
IFCAA Presentation
The IFCAA Presentation was held in the Plenary Hall at 2:00 p.m. as part of IFCEM. Mr. YOSHIZAWA Makoto, Counselor to the Fire Chief of the Administration Section of the Tokyo Fire Department, Mr. Abdullah bin Abu Bakar, Senior Assistant Director of the Community Preparedness Branch of the Singapore Civil Defence Force, and Datu Khirudin Bin Drahman @ Hussaini, Director of the Fire Safety Division of the Fire and Rescue Department of Malaysia, delivered their presentations.
Presentation Theme
1 “Tokyo Total Safety Management”
Mr. YOSHIZAWA Makoto
Counselor to Fire Chief, Administration Section, Tokyo Fire Department, Japan
2 “Creating Resilient Communities in the Face of Manmade Disasters”
Mr. Abdullah bin Abu BakarSenior
Assistant Director (Community Preparedness Branch), Singapore Civil Defence Force
3 “Challenges in Managing Fire Safety in Sarawak. It’s Perspective and Experience”
Datu Khirudin Bin Drahman @ Hussaini
Director of Fire Safety Division, Fire and Rescue Department of Malaysia
IFCAA Declaration/ Handover Ceremony
During the Closing Ceremony held in Exhibition Hall 5 at 8:00 p.m., IFCAA Acting Director Edi Sucipto, S.Sos., M.Si., Head of the Rescue Operations Section of the Jakarta Fire and Rescue Department, Indonesia, announced the IFCAA Declaration as the outcome of the 33rd IFCAA General Conference. Following this, Dato' Ts. Nor Hisham bin Mohammad, Director General of the Fire and Rescue Department of Malaysia, presented the IFCAA commemorative plate to Mr. HANDA Nobuhiro, Fire Chief of the Nagoya City Fire Bureau, Japan. This marked the handover ceremony to the host fire agency for the 34th IFCAA General Conference, which will be held in 2026.
The two-day IFCAA General Conference concluded with great success.
Other Related Events
5th International Fire Conference and Exhibition Malaysia (IFCEM)
On October 22 (Tuesday) and October 23 (Wednesday), 13 presentations by professionals from around the world in the fire and disaster management sector were held in the Plenary Hall under the themes “Sustainable Fire Safety,” “Resilience and Disaster Preparedness,” and “Cross-Sector Collaboration.”
From October 22 (Tuesday) to October 24 (Thursday), an exhibition was held in Exhibition Hall 1&2, featuring 82 companies from Malaysia and abroad, with a total of 153 booths.
Malaysia International Rescue Extrication Challenge (MIREC)
The Malaysia International Rescue Extrication Challenge was held on October 22 (Tuesday) and October 23 (Wednesday) in Exhibition Hall 4. Ten rescue teams from nine countries and regions competed in motor accident rescue skills and techniques, while 12 teams from Malaysia participated in confined space rescue skills and techniques.
