Gulkarmat's Preparedness to Handle Electric Vehicle Fires in Jakarta

The proliferation of electric vehicles now marketed in Indonesia has been accompanied by several fire incidents, drawing attention from various stakeholders. Mohamad Ongen Sangaji, a member of Commission A of the DKI Jakarta DPRD, has requested that the Fire and Rescue Agency (Gulkarmat) prepare a specific Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for handling electric vehicle fires. Ongen assessed that, to date, there is no effective portable fire extinguisher (APAR) available to address fires originating from electric vehicle batteries. “If an electric vehicle fire occurs, the handling is different. To this day, there is no APAR that can extinguish its battery. This is dangerous because it can produce toxic substances,” he stated, quoted from an official release on Monday (27/4/2026). Ongen also said that the Gulkarmat Agency needs to promptly prepare anticipatory measures, including finding appropriate handling methods. Moreover, according to him, the number of electric vehicles in the capital is continuously increasing, thus requiring better preparedness. However, he emphasised that handling standards must still refer to central government policies. “We in DKI are pushing for this because it concerns the safety of Jakarta residents, in line with the growing number of electric vehicle users,” he asserted. Previously, the Regional Development Planning Agency (Bappeda) has begun conducting 2026 disaster research focusing on mitigating risks from new technologies, particularly the potential for electric vehicle battery fires, as well as strengthening the operational capacity of BPBD in the disaster management cycle. Through collaboration with academics and various institutions, the research aims to produce data-based policies (evidence-based policy). The results are expected to help Jakarta face challenges as a global city, while also serving as a reference for other regions in managing risks amid the rapid development of technology and the electric vehicle ecosystem.