Around Rp 144.2b in assets lost to fire every year<\/p>\n
Bambang Nurbianto, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The increasing incidence of fires in the last three years has
\ncaused victims to suffer an average of Rp 144.2 billion (US$16
\nmillion) in material losses.<\/p>\n
\"Most fires in the last three years took place in slums,\"
\nJakarta Fire Department chief Johnny Pangaribuan said on
\nWednesday.<\/p>\n
The greatest number of fires in residential areas was in 2002
\nwhen 5,022 houses were damaged by fire. This was greater than the
\n3,436 in 2001 and 3,004 in 2003.<\/p>\n
However, department data reveals that material losses have
\nbeen on the decline.<\/p>\n
In 2001, material losses were Rp 191.9 billion in 729 cases,
\nfalling to Rp 130.9 billion in 2002 in 837 fires. The total was
\neven smaller last year, with Rp 109.8 billion in losses from 854
\nfires.<\/p>\n
Johnny said that financial losses were not related to the
\nlarge areas affected by infernos, where the majority of such
\ndisasters occurred.<\/p>\n
\"Financial losses are larger if fires occur in industrial
\nareas or commercial premises rather than slums.\"<\/p>\n
Johnny said his office would continually upgrade equipment to
\nenable firefighters to work faster and better, thus helping to
\nreduce the number of victims or amount of property damaged.<\/p>\n
Currently, the department has 140 fire trucks, far from the
\nideal of 267, which is similar to the number of subdistricts in
\nthe capital.<\/p>\n
Previously, the department calculated it needed 224
\nsubdistrict fire stations for every 30,000 residents, each
\nequipped with two hose trucks, and another 37 district stations
\nto cover every 200,000 residents.
\n Each district should have at least two hose trucks, one ladder
\ntruck, two motorcycles, one ambulance, one rescue truck, one
\ncommand vehicle and one special utility car, depending on the
\ncharacteristics of the area covered.<\/p>\n
Johnny said the department would purchase two submersible
\npumps this year to supply fire trucks with water from a water
\nsource located as far as two kilometers away from the site.<\/p>\n
\"At present we have only one submersible pump. We need the
\npumps because most of the existing hydrants do not work. One pump
\ncan supply water for six fire trucks simultaneously,\" he said.<\/p>\n
With an area of 661.52 square kilometers, of which 53 of 267
\nsubdistricts are prone to fires, the city has only 900 hydrants,
\nfar from the ideal of around 20,000.<\/p>\n
The department organized training sessions for youths in the
\nFire Volunteers Front (Balakar) last year in an effort to
\novercome its manpower problem. But the programs were not
\nsuccessful, as many of the youths moved to other areas or found
\njobs.<\/p>\n
Department spokesman Sardiyo Sardi said the training was not
\napplicable for Jakarta as the department adopted the scheme from
\nother cities, assuming that the trained volunteers were permanent
\nresidents.<\/p>\n
Johnny said his department would concentrate on training
\npermanent residents with a variety of firefighting skills,
\nincluding how to use fire extinguishers distributed by his
\ndepartment to residents, and giving first aid to fire victims.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/around-rp-1442b-in-assets-lost-to-fire-every-year-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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