City ponders disaster response<\/p>\n
Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
Following the devastating earthquakes and tsunami in Aceh and
\nNias, the city administration is seeking to improve its ability
\nto respond to natural disasters.<\/p>\n
\"The recent quakes made me think of ways we can upgrade the
\ncity's crisis response. Jakarta needs to be better prepared
\nbecause it is the capital of the country and home to millions of
\npeople,\" Governor Sutiyoso said at City Hall on Friday.<\/p>\n
The governor said his administration would ask for assistance
\nfrom Jakarta's overseas sister cities in upgrading the city's
\ndisaster response system.<\/p>\n
\"At the least we can ask them for technological assistance to
\nupgrade the existing disaster response system,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Jakarta has several sister cities, including Seoul, Rotterdam,
\nTokyo, Los Angeles, Beijing, Berlin, New South Wales and Paris.<\/p>\n
Sutiyoso said the city did not have a comprehensive and
\nintegrated system to coordinate relief efforts in the event of a
\nmajor disaster like flooding, fire or earthquake.<\/p>\n
\"I have personally observed that other major cities like
\nSeoul, Tokyo and New York have such a system in place,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The only crisis center in Jakarta, which involves several city
\nagencies, focuses on responding to floods and fires. There have
\nbeen some disaster drills organized by the administration, but
\nthey involved only a few residents.<\/p>\n
Flooding is an annual occurrence in Jakarta. Some of the worst
\nfloods in recorded history occurred in 2002, swamping much of the
\ncity, killing 31 people and forcing 300,000 residents to flee to
\ntemporary shelters.<\/p>\n
Fire is another major concern, with almost 700 fires reported
\nevery year.<\/p>\n
\"We need a more detailed communications system, search and
\nrescue methods and regular drills involving residents down to the
\nlowest level in the community, which are the neighborhood units,\"
\nthe governor said.<\/p>\n
City Construction Supervision and Regulation Agency head
\nDjumhana Tjakrawirja said on Thursday most high-rise buildings in
\nthe city were designed to tolerate only mild earthquakes.<\/p>\n
Djumhana said the Indonesian National Standards, which
\nregulates all areas across the country, had put Jakarta as a
\nmedium-risk area for serious quakes.<\/p>\n
He warned that the number of fatalities in the event of a
\nlarge earthquake could be high because most Jakarta residents did
\nnot know what to do if a quake hit.<\/p>\n
Jakarta experienced relatively strong quakes on Oct. 25, 2000,
\nDec. 19, 1999, and March, 17, 1997. No fatalities were reported
\nin the incidents, which caused minor cracks in many buildings in
\nthe city.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/city-ponders-disaster-response-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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