City extinguishes fire with alarms

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Jakarta should, ideally, have 20,000 fire hydrants -- but only has 900.

But instead of installing new hydrants, the city's fire department has decided to install alarms in the 53 subdistricts in the city that are considered fire hazards.

The city's top firefighter, Johnny Pangaribuan, said Thursday that the alarms would be installed in the subdistricts' neighborhood and community unit offices.

The alarms will be connected to the closest fire stations so firefighters can respond to calls immediately, Johnny said.

The Rp 3 billion (US$353,000) cost for the project will be met by the city's budget.

Each year, between 700 and 900 fires occur in the city. This year alone, the department has recorded more than 400 fires.

The project is not expected to significantly reduce or lessen the extent of the fires as most of the areas covered are slums that cannot be reached by fire trucks.

Other problems fighting fires include water shortages and a lack of manpower.