Volunteer firefighter program has failed: Chief

Volunteer firefighter program has failed: Chief

Bambang Nurbianto, Jakarta

The increasing number of fires in the city over the last three
years, and lack of manpower, has prompted the Jakarta Fire
Department to launch various programs, including training 3,000
youths from fire-prone subdistricts last year.

However, the training of volunteers, grouped under the Fire
Volunteers Front (Balakar), was not fruitful, due to various
problems.

Fire department chief Johny Pangaribuan told The Jakarta Post
on Tuesday that the volunteers had received training in basic
areas, including how to operate the industrial extinguishers that
have already been distributed among 55 subdistricts.

The volunteers are expected to share their newfound knowledge
with other residents.

Johnny said the program had failed largely because many of the
trained youths had moved to other areas, or found jobs.

"We need to revise the program. For the time being, we will
train local residents," he said.

"However, the key to the success of the program depends very
much upon the locals' participation in protecting their
surroundings from fire. The extinguishers can only be used if the
fire does not spread."

The fire department has being facing a chronic manpower
problem, as most of the 2,520 active firefighters are over 45
years old. The government, through its zero-growth policy, has
banned the recruitment of additional civil servants, including
new firefighters.
 Currently, 69 percent of the active fire-fighting force are
over 45, meaning that 1,739 firemen will retire in the next five
to 10 years.

Up to July 23, 364 fires have been reported this year, in
which 11 people were killed and 28 others injured. The number of
fires reported in the city has increased over the last three
years, with 854 cases in 2003, 837 cases in 2002 and 729 cases in
2001.

With 53 of its 257 subdistricts prone to fire, the city
administration has distributed 6,640 fire extinguishers of
various sizes and 30 portable water pumps, and installed 600 fire
alarms, which are directly linked with fire stations and the
central fire department.

The extinguishers and the alarms are located at the houses of
community unit and neighborhood unit secretaries, while the
portable pumps are stored at subdistrict offices.

The extinguishers are only intended for use prior to the
arrival of firefighters at the scene, while the portable pumps
are only useful if there is a sufficient supply of water there.

However, Johnny said, the equipment was not enough to overcome
fires in slum areas.

He said the odds were against firefighters when they faced
conditions, such as: a densely populated area where houses were
mostly makeshift and made of highly flammable materials, the
widespread use of kerosene stoves, the improper installation of
electrical facilities, narrow access to slum areas and the lack
of water in some places.

The two most recent major fires, in which at least two people
died and 2,500 people were left homeless, occurred in Kebon
Melati and Sawah Besar, both in Central Jakarta. In both cases it
took firefighters more than three hours to extinguish the fires.