Govt to launch training program for people to deal with disaster
Govt to launch training program for people to deal with disaster
Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
After a series of powerful earthquakes that have claimed hundreds
of lives over the past three months, and with aftershocks causing
panic among residents on the island of Sumatra, the government
plans to train people in disaster-prone areas on how to deal with
emergency situations.
Training is expected to start next month for people living on
Sumatra's west coast, which was ravaged by the Dec. 26 tsunami
and the March 28 earthquake. On Sunday, a strong quake rocked
Padang in West Sumatra, causing local residents to flee to high
ground in fear of tidal waves.
The training plan was agreed to on Tuesday at a meeting
attended by Vice President Jusuf Kalla, Minister of
Transportation Hatta Radjasa, Minister of Home Affairs M. Ma'ruf,
Minister of Research and Technology Kusmayanto Kadiman,
Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) head Umar Anggara Djenie
and Meteorology and Geophysics Agency (BMG) head Gunawan Ibrahim.
Umar said that LIPI had been tasked by the vice president to
prepare residents in areas prone to natural disasters to deal
with events such as earthquakes, tsunami and landslides, in order
to reduce damage and casualties.
"We'll begin training trainers this week for the residents of
Padang," he told the press after the meeting.
In cooperation with local administrations, LIPI would coach
residents on how to respond to earthquakes that may again hit
Padang and other cities in West Sumatra.
"We'll teach them what to do, where they should go and what to
prepare in anticipation of earthquakes or tsunamis," Umar said,
As part of the program, LIPI will also be responsible for
distributing posters and leaflets to the public that provide
technical guidance in dealing with earthquakes.
As for the BMG, the government has authorized it to make
public announcements through the media whenever earthquakes hit,
said deputy head of the National Coordinating Body for Disaster
and Refugees (Bakornas PB) Budi Ahmadi.
The BMG said that it is able to give a complete analysis on
earthquakes some 15 minutes after they happen.
"BMG must inform the public quickly if an earthquake has been
recorded," Budi said.
The government will also install manually operated sirens in
subprecinct police posts across the country in order to warn or
inform local residents about emergency situations.
"The sirens will not need electricity," Budi said, adding that
the equipment would be installed at police posts because these
operate 24 hours a day, unlike other government offices.
Umar said Indonesians must learn to live with earthquakes as
the country is located in a highly quake-prone region.
"What we have to do is inform people on how to deal with
earthquakes," he said, pointing to Japan where residents have a
high awareness of what to do in the event of natural disasters.