Government Hands Over Fire Engine to Improve Disaster Services in Aceh
Efforts to strengthen regional preparedness in facing fires and natural disasters continue through the addition of supporting facilities. The availability of fire engines capable of performing various functions is considered vital to accelerating emergency response and supporting disaster management in the regions.
As part of these efforts, the Chairman of the Sumatra Post-Disaster Rehabilitation and Reconstruction (PRR) Acceleration Task Force, Muhammad Tito Karnavian, handed over one unit of a multifunctional Fire Hawk fire engine to the Bener Meriah Regency Government, Aceh, on Tuesday (7/7). The assistance was received directly by the Regent of Bener Meriah, Tagore Abubakar, at the Bener Meriah Regency Office.
Tito stated that the assistance is a form of central government support to increase the capacity of disaster services in the region, particularly in handling fires and other emergency situations. He noted that the presence of adequate firefighting fleets is expected to accelerate incident handling and improve public services.
Bener Meriah Regent Tagore Abubakar expressed his appreciation for the central government’s support, noting that the additional fleet will strengthen the local government’s readiness to provide services to the community, especially when facing emergency conditions.
Separately, the Head of the Regional Post for Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Acceleration (PRR), Safrizal, explained that the Fire Hawk FWS 4000 is designed as a multifunctional firefighting vehicle. In addition to extinguishing building fires, the vehicle can also function as a water distribution unit with a capacity of 4,000 litres, including supporting clean water needs at evacuation sites during disasters.
According to Safrizal, the vehicle utilises a Mitsubishi Fuso Canter FE 75 SHDX chassis, or equivalent, with 136–150 PS power, and is equipped with a Power Take-Off (PTO) pump system connected directly to the vehicle’s transmission. A pump capacity of up to approximately 528 gallons per minute (GPM) allows the vehicle to deliver large volumes of water to support the firefighting process.
The Fire Hawk is also equipped with a 4,000-litre tank made of stainless steel, along with several supporting features such as hose storage compartments, fire extinguisher mounts, emergency rotary lights, and water pressure control panels.
Safrizal expressed hope that the assistance would be utilised optimally to support disaster services in Bener Meriah Regency. “Hopefully, the Fire Hawk, provided by the Ministry of Home Affairs, can be used to the best of its ability. Maintain it well, use it well, and may it help ease the tasks that must be carried out,” he concluded.