City needs better fire engines

JAKARTA (JP): It's high time the capital had submersible pumps and long-range water hoses to deal with fire incidents, according to head of the City Fire Agency, Suharso,

Speaking at a meeting with Governor Sutiyoso and a visiting delegation from the Nederlands Instituut Voor Brandweer en Rampenbestrijding (NIBRA), a fire institute under the supervision of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Netherlands government, Suharso said that such equipment was needed to provide better services to Jakarta residents in fire-prone areas.

"We have 13 rivers flowing across the city. But, we always have problems reaching the water sources during a fire incident," he said on Monday.

"We need fire engines, which are equipped with 3-kilometer- long water hoses and submersible pumps to make it easier for us to reach the fire location," he added.

The City Fire Agency, established on March 1, 1919 by the Dutch colonial administration, currently employs 2,446 firefighters and has a total of 132 fire engines.

Data at the agency shows there were 409 fire incidents in the capital in the first seven months of this year, compared to 700 cases recorded throughout last year.

"There is virtually no single day without a fire in the capital," the agency cited.

Suharso expressed hoped that the visiting delegation could help the agency improve its services by providing necessary equipment and also helping to upgrade the skills of the agency's staff.

"They are here with a proposal to provide training, technical aids and equipment. All will be delivered in the form of a grant," he said, adding that his office welcomed their offers.

Governor Sutiyoso said that the city administration welcomed the proposal.

"We just cannot handle the problem (of fires) with the high density, limited human resources, skills and equipment.

"This assistance is much needed to improve the agency's public service," he told reporters. (lup)