City in critical need of 14,000 water hydrants
City in critical need of 14,000 water hydrants
JAKARTA (JP): The capital, which sees an average of three
fires per day, urgently needs some 14,000 water hydrants and an
adequate water distribution network to extinguish all fire cases
effectively, an officer said.
Interviewed by The Jakarta Post on Monday, head of the public
participation section of the City Fire Agency, Johnny
Pangaribuan, said that about 20 percent of the current 1,000
water hydrants placed at several spots in the capital have
already been broken by motorists and vandalized by irresponsible
residents.
"Worst of all, we don't have adequate funds for maintenance or
repairs to damaged hydrants," Johnny explained, adding that a
brand new water hydrant costs approximately Rp 3 million
(US$315).
The other significant obstacle still faced by the agency is
the lack of water supply across the capital.
"The flow of water distributed by PAM (the city-owned drinking
water firm) at most locations here is very small.
Since the water is actually aimed for household consumption,
when we arrive for a fire and open the available hydrants ... we
hardly see any water coming out from the hydrants," he explained.
The only last option, he added, is seeking a nearby river to
obtain water, which of course takes extra time to extinguish the
fire.
"We have 13 rivers flowing across the city, but most of them
are heavily filled with mud and garbage, which hinders water
intake," he added.
"In anticipating the lack of water source, the agency usually
sends at least four fire engines to the site of a fire.
But it depends on the type of the building or location gutted
by the blaze and the size of the fire," said Johnny.
According to the minimum requirements, every 200 square-meter
area should be equipped with a water hydrant to anticipate any
fire incidents.
Jakarta covers 663 square kilometers.
Johnny said the other problem, which has been a regular
headache for his men in performing their duties, are the heavy
traffic-jams which always occur in the city's streets.
He added that 75 percent of the 700 to 900 fire cases recorded
every year were caused by human errors, such as substandard
installations of electrical wires and fixtures.
"Most Jakartans fail to check their wires at home at least
once every 10 years, which often causes a short circuit and
triggers a fire," Johnny said.
He also warned residents, particularly those living in
densely-populated slum areas, to always switch off their stoves
after using them.
The city has repeatedly witnessed big fires that have gutted
hundreds of houses in such areas, often leaving thousands of poor
families homeless and starving.
A fire in April at Karang Anyar subdistrict in Central
Jakarta, for instance, razed 93 two-story plywood shanty homes,
leaving some 500 people homeless.
Local police said the blaze was possibly caused by a short
circuit, and it spread quickly due to the strong wind.
In minimizing the number of fire incidents, the agency has
coordinated with the City Housing agency and City Development
Supervision agency, as well as the police and state-owned
electricity firm, PLN.
"Each building must firstly be provided with a proper
electrical installation before the owner can obtain their
building permits," said Johnny.
The City Fire Agency, established on March 1, 1919 by the
Dutch colonial administration, currently employs 2,300
firefighters and has a total of 150 fire engines equipped with
20-meter-long water hoses.
Each fire engine has the capacity of 4,000 liters of water,
which needs 10 to 15 minutes to fill its storage compartment to
capacity. "About 500 firefighters are deployed everyday at 80
fire stations across the capital," said Johnny. (07)