Managers of Mediterania Apartment Claim Alarm and Sprinkler Systems Functioned Normally During Fire
JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - The management of Mediterania Apartment in Tanjung Duren, West Jakarta, claims that the building’s alarm and sprinkler systems functioned normally when a fire broke out in Tower C on Thursday morning (30/4/2026).
This claim comes in response to complaints from several residents on the 28th floor who said they did not hear the warning alarm even as thick smoke enveloped the corridors of their units.
Apartment Manager of Mediterania Garden Residence, Anggi Febrianti, assured that the building’s Main Control Fire Alarm (MCFA) was functioning properly and immediately detected the fire’s origin at the start of the incident.
“The initial incident occurred around half past seven in the morning. Our MCFA did identify the fire. Our team immediately headed to the location to extinguish it, assisted by the fire department team,” Anggi told reporters at the scene on Thursday.
She guaranteed that all systems complied with safety standards and underwent regular certification and inspections.
“I can assure you that the alarm did sound. That’s why the response team was on the way to the location by 07:30. All building alarm systems are confirmed to be functioning well. You can see that the alarm is still sounding even now. I also have videos of the sprinklers bursting,” Anggi emphasised.
Regarding the sprinklers that did not release water, Anggi explained that the apartment’s sprinklers are designed to activate in response to extreme heat, not just smoke.
“The fire protection system means the sprinklers will burst when the floor indicates heat at a certain temperature. If other floors do not experience that heat, they won’t burst,” she clarified.
“The lifts, access releases, and since earlier, if the building systems weren’t working properly, the fire department or PMI teams conducting the evacuation wouldn’t have been able to use the lifts,” she added.
On the other hand, Antonius (47), one of the victims residing on the 28th floor, lodged a protest with the management, deeming the alarm system inefficient.
“I live on the 28th floor; from 8 o’clock when the fire started, I didn’t hear the alarm or the sprinklers. What we experienced on the 28th floor was smoke already coming out from the emergency stairs,” said Antonius.
He criticised waiting for heat to trigger the sprinklers or alarms as fatal, since smoke from the basement fire residue spreads upwards much faster and endangers lives.
“The problem is like this: we don’t need the alarm to activate only after the fire heat arrives to die, pass out, or get sick. We’ve already been hit by the smoke; the smoke was thick, the 28th floor corridors were full of it. That didn’t happen (the alarm didn’t sound),” Antonius complained.