Makassar Fire and Rescue Service Prepares Seven Posts to Face Godzilla El Niño

Makassar - The Makassar City Government, through the Fire and Rescue Service (Damkarmat), has increased its readiness status by preparing seven alert posts to face the Godzilla El Niño phenomenon. “We have prepared anticipatory measures by activating seven alert posts spread across various strategic points,” said the Head of the Makassar City Damkarmat, Fadli Wellang, in Makassar on Friday. Based on forecasts from the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency, this year’s El Niño phenomenon has the potential for an extreme dry season that is predicted to be stronger than previous periods. This will trigger prolonged dry spells that impact increased fire risks and clean water crises in several areas due to the Godzilla El Niño phenomenon. “Our main focus during the dry season is two things: potential fires and drought. For that reason, we are forming special posts to ensure a quick response to emergency conditions,” Fadli added. The seven posts consist of one main post (Mako) on Jalan Ratulangi and six supporting posts located in the Akarena, Ujung Tanah, KIMA, Tamalanrea, Todopuli, and Manggala areas. On the other hand, Makassar Damkarmat also highlighted the need to strengthen facilities and infrastructure in line with the city’s development and the increasing complexity of fire handling. “Fire handling is now increasingly complex, including the emergence of electric vehicle battery fire cases that require special equipment such as fire blankets, which are not yet available,” Fadli revealed. In addition, Damkarmat requires special fleets for handling fires in water areas, such as speedboats or fireboats. Currently, the available facilities are still limited to rubber boats. With these various anticipatory measures, the Makassar City Government hopes to minimise disaster risks during the dry season. “We also ensure that fire suppression and rescue services continue to operate optimally for the community,” he said.