Police rate Bali's luxury hotels on security

Police rate Bali's luxury hotels on security

Wahyoe Boediwardhana, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar, Bali

In one short sentence, Charles Djunaidi, the representative of the five-star Nikko Bali Resort and Spa, disclosed the reason behind the hotel's success in becoming Bali's safest and most secure five-star hotel.

"Given the fact that terrorist and bomb threats have became a common occurrence nowadays, we consider the security and safety of our guests as the most important issue in the business," he said.

Nikko was one among 34 four- and five-star hotels received last Friday the safety and security certificate awarded by the Bali Police.

Twenty-nine hotels were awarded with the golden certificate, the highest level in safety and security preparedness, while five others were given the silver certificate.

Nikko Bali Resort and Spa, the Four Seasons Resort Bali and Bali Cliff Resort ranked in the top three as the safest and most secure hotels. They scored 97.83, 97.41 and 96.88, respectively in the evaluation and verification process.

The certificates were awarded after a three-month evaluation conducted by a team of security experts from the Bali Police.

It was the second stage in the police's comprehensive program to systematically and significantly improve the safety and security of the island's tourism industry.

Initiated by Bali Police chief Insp. Gen. Made Mangku Pastika, it was aimed at creating a high level of security awareness, providing the guests with a sense of security confidence and establishing a network that effectively connects the hotel with various outside emergency service providers and first-responders.

"The brutal October 2002 terrorist attack have taught us a lot on the importance of safety and security preparedness. Moreover, it also underlined the fact that this island, the economy of which is greatly reliant on tourism, must have an integrated and effective crisis management system," Mangku Pastika said.

In the October tragedy, two powerful explosives were detonated at two packed nightspots in the island's tourist haven of Kuta, killing at least 202 people, mostly foreigners.

The first stage of the program involved the drafting of several basic parameters, upon which the safety and security of the island's 1,381 hotels would eventually be assessed and evaluated.

The making of the parameters was carried out by a team of six high-ranking officers from various branches in the force, including from the tourism police, intelligence and the elite Mobile Brigade. It took them six months to complete the draft.

The basic parameters comprised vital aspects, such as the number of the security personnel, safety and security equipment, building conditions, crisis management, procedures and training.

Each parameter was broken down into several standard requirements. For example, the first parameter dictated that the minimum number of security personnel employed by a hotel must be equal to 10 percent of the total number of rooms.

Therefore, a 500-room hotel must have at least 50 security officers.

"Moreover, it's chief of security must have a university degree, fluency in English and advance skills in self-defense techniques. While other security officers must have at least a high school diploma, basic English and intermediate skills in self defense," said Mangku Pastika

A multi-story hotel must have a fire hydrant on each floor, smoke and heat detector alarms, as well as fire sprinklers in each room. Its building should be equipped with emergency exits and stairs, its pool and beach areas with SAR (Search and Rescue) equipment such as a boat, life jackets and first-aid area.

"The building must be in good condition and should not be over 20-years-old. The hotel must also have a medical facility equipped with qualified paramedics and, preferably, an ambulance," the head of the verification team Adj. Sr. Com. I Ketut Kadhiana explained.

The hotels that scored 90-100 points in the evaluation and verification process would be awarded with the golden certificate, 80-90 points would receive the silver one and 70-80 points would get bronze.

"We have 400 rooms so the parameter required us to have at least 40 security officers. Currently, we have 60 security personnel. We have also invited the Mobile Brigade's officers to train our personnel in bomb detection skills," said Charles Djunaidi.

Separately, the chairman of Bali's Hotels and Restaurants Association (PHRI) I Gde Putu Wiratha hailed the program as a real initiative and a true effort of assistance.

"The certificate will provide the hotels with a solid ground to stand on when they are trying to convince their foreign business partners on the safety and security of this island," he said.

He also urged the local government to participate in the program by co-financing its evaluation and verification stage.

"The police force has completed evaluating and verifying 34 hotels, even though that is a small number compared to the thousands of hotels and various tourism-related establishments we have here in Bali," he said.

Mangku Pastika himself admitted that the police budget was stretched too thin to finance a complete program. Some 66 one- and two-star hotels would, however, be assessed in the second evaluation and verification process expected to be completed by February 2004.

So far, the program has been wholly financed by the existing police budget.