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