Safety systems required for all buildings<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The city will continue to take stern action
\nagainst building owners who fail to equip their properties with
\nproper fire protection systems, an officer said.<\/p>\n
Head of the City Fire Agency, Suharso, said yesterday that his
\noffice has fined several building operators in the city and would
\ncontinue to carry out the enforcement of Provincial Decree No. 3,
\nwhich was issued in 1992.<\/p>\n
The decree requires all buildings to be equipped with
\nappropriate fire protection and safety systems. Owners who fail
\nto meet the requirements will be fined Rp 50,000 (US$18.90),
\nSuharso said.<\/p>\n
"It is, of course, a paltry amount for the owners but it
\ndoesn't mean that we won't carry out sterner action," he told a
\nseminar on fire protection technology and management.<\/p>\n
After the first charge, the buildings will be intensively
\nmonitored by our staff, said Suharso.<\/p>\n
"If the owners fail to significantly improve their fire
\nsystems after a certain period of time, we could send them to
\njail," he said.<\/p>\n
Suharso, however, gave no further details.<\/p>\n
The two-day seminar, jointly organized by city's Public Works
\noffice and Indonesian Consultants Association, was opened
\nyesterday by Deputy Governor on Economics and Development Affairs
\nT.B. Rais.<\/p>\n
In his speech, Rais said the need to install proper fire
\nprotection systems in their properties was also a moral
\nobligation for building owners.<\/p>\n
"A law requires responsible a attitude, so if owners are not
\ncareful or even ignore the existing laws, they've already risked
\nother people's lives and nobody will trust them," said Rais.<\/p>\n
Fire protection installations alone are not enough to prevent
\nfires, the buildings should also have skilled firemen and tenants
\nwith positive attitudes, he said.<\/p>\n
"An ideal condition is when a building is installed with a
\nfire protection system and has skilled personnel to handle a
\nfire," he said.<\/p>\n
However, Suharso said that so far, the current human resources
\ncannot cope with the current situation.<\/p>\n
"The agency currently has 2,601 firefighters who are assigned
\nto cover the whole of Jakarta, which is home to 9.5 million
\npeople and has 700 high-rise buildings," he said.<\/p>\n
He cited, for comparison, that Brunei Darussalam, with a
\npopulation of 300,000 people, has 1,000 firefighters.<\/p>\n
The city's 631 fire hydrants is also a shocking amount for
\nSuharso.<\/p>\n
"Ideally, Jakarta should have 13,000 hydrants. One installed
\nevery 200 meters to cover the whole 65 hectares of the city," he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Some of the 159 fire engines are in bad condition, Suharso
\nadded.<\/p>\n
He said the agency receives a government budget of Rp 11
\nbillion per year for operational costs.<\/p>\n
"Most of the fund is used for training and firefighters'
\nwelfare," he said. "Only some of it is used for purchasing new
\nequipment." (04)<\/p>",
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