Firefighters lack equipment

Firefighters lack equipment

Nana Rukmana, The Jakarta Post, Cirebon

Despite a high frequency of fires in Cirebon, the municipal
government here still gives low priority to pre-emptive measures,
a government official said on Thursday.

"It seems that fighting fire is not a government priority,"
said chief of the firefighter section of the Cirebon municipal
government, Deddy Nurayadi.

Deddy complained that the section only had five fire trucks,
while ideally the city government should have 15 vehicles to
fight fires in a city of some 300,000 houses and buildings.

He said the section has 30 firefighters but only five of them
had been well trained. Worse, most of the firefighters were still
contract workers with a monthly wage Rp 475,000 (US$47.50).

"With such a low salary, it is difficult to expect them to be
professional in carrying out their duties," said Deddy.

House fires in Cirebon have become more frequent, and every
year between 24 and 36 fires occur in the city, which is located
on the northern coastal area of West Java province.

With such lack of equipment and funds, the section has says it
can not properly fight fires. Therefore, the section has
intensified a campaign to enhance community participation in
fighting fires. "Businessmen, for example, have been urged to
place fire-fighting equipment in their own buildings," said
Deddy.