City needs better fire engines

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)