Cigarette giant forms rescue team

Cigarette giant forms rescue team

JAKARTA: In order to provide support and assistance to victims
of natural disasters, publicly listed PT Sampoerna, one of the
country's largest cigarette producers, has formed a search and
rescue team.

Hadi Fauzan, director of PT Sampoerna, said the team did not
intend to take over the national search and rescue team's task.

"If the national team needs us, we'll send our rescue team to
help them. But we'll also operate on our own if people need us,"
said Hadi.

He said that members of the team were university students who
were recruited from triathlon competitions held by the company in
Malang, East Java, on June 21 and in Bandung, West Java, on June
27.

The company will hold a similar competition in Jakarta on Aug.
10.

"This competition is being held to recruit members for our
search and rescue team, and we will also train them. They will be
our 'staff-on-call' and will be called out if and when a natural
disaster occurs," he said.

The team already has 20 members in Malang and Bandung, 18 life
boats, 250 life jackets, three trucks, one helicopter and several
ambulances. -- JP