National Police Chief Hands Over Firefighting Equipment to Riau Police for Forest Fire Preparedness

National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo conducted a direct inspection of personnel and equipment readiness for handling potential forest and land fires (karhutla) at the Riau Regional Police. During the visit, he handed over various firefighting support equipment at the Riau Police SPN building in Kampar Regency on Wednesday.

Kapolri noted that the Riau Regional Police, together with the Regional Leadership Coordination Forum (Forkopimda) and private sector elements, are prepared to face the threat of forest and land fires. He stressed that collaboration and synergy are the most critical factors in tackling karhutla.

“I see that all stakeholders, including Basarnas, BPBD, the TNI, and private companies, are united. This is what we need to face the potential forest fires,” he said.

Referring to data from the Riau Province BPBD, there are currently 15,000 detected hotspots. Fire spots have been observed in 329 locations, with a total burned area reaching 329 hectares. General Sigit reminded all personnel in the Karhutla Task Force to increase their vigilance.

“The characteristics of forest and land fires in Riau are different from other regions. We are facing two critical periods for fires, one of which is from July to September, coupled with the El Niño phenomenon which is predicted to cause drier weather,” he explained.

The National Police Chief emphasized that personnel must prepare themselves, particularly by ensuring the availability of water sources that can be utilized when fires occur. He also urged that education and outreach to the public be intensified, as regulations regarding land management are already in place and must be adhered to.

“Do not let land clearing be done by burning, as this can trigger forest and land fires,” he asserted.

The equipment assistance provided by the National Police Chief to the Riau Police included 50 units of portable breathing apparatus, 2 units of Wontech portable WiFi, 10 Kawasaki KLX 150cc motorcycles, 1 Hitachi 110F excavator, and 20 units of water pump machines. Sigit expressed his hope that all the equipment would be utilized optimally as a form of readiness to face the threat of forest and land fires.