Prepare the Fire Extinguisher Before the Flare-up

Kompas

Hydrant installed on the sidewalk in the Iron Bridge area, Tambora, West Jakarta, Wednesday (25/9/2013).

“There are many ways to go to Rome.” This proverb means there are always multiple ways to achieve something. It does not apply to extinguishing fires in Jakarta.

The results of data processing and road network analysis conducted by the Kompas editorial team on fire incident data for 2020 to 2021, the distribution of fire stations, the availability of hydrants, building maps, administrative maps of community units (RWs), Jakarta's road networks, rivers, sewers and beaches, as well as the distribution and coverage of firefighting services, indicate that there are many obstacles to reaching the scene of a fire.

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The low rate of firefighters per capita appears to be the basic problem. For example, the ratio in Jakarta is 1 to 2,357. Kuala Lumpur’s is 1 to 1,594, while Bangkok’s is 1 to 1,029, or twice the number of firefighters per capita.

In fact, 2020-2021 fire incident data show that each fire required the involvement of four fire stations.

This low ratio is further exacerbated by the unequal distribution of fire stations, resulting in many blank spots. As of 2021, of the 2,731 RWs in Jakarta, 268 were more than 2.5 kilometers from the nearest fire station. Eighty four of those RWs were in East Jakarta. In addition, as many as 496 RWs only relied on one fire station, 563 RWs on two stations and 585 RWs on three stations. In fact, 2020-2021 fire incident data show that each fire required the involvement of four fire stations.

The problem is getting more complex given the large number of narrow roads and dense, irregular settlements in the capital. OpenStreetMap data shows that 18.6 percent of roads in each subdistrict in Jakarta are narrow and cannot be used by fire trucks. The lack of water resources has also added to the complexity. Of the existing 1,213 hydrants, only 34 percent function properly. As the consequence, firefighters still mostly rely on rivers and sewers.

KOMPAS/AGUS SUSANTO

Fire trucks operate on Jalan Gajah Mada to extinguish the fire that burned the Thermindo shophouse in Taman Sari, West Jakarta, Tuesday (14/9/2021)

Another problem that looks simple but has a big impact is that residents are slow to report fires to the nearby fire station. Few people know the phone number for fire emergency services. As the result, firefighters are often late on the scene. The lives of the firefighters are also often at stake because they arrive after the fire has grown. The material losses and the threat to the lives of residents are even higher.

The availability of handheld fire extinguishers and the involvement of trained volunteer firefighters in neighborhood units (RTs) and RWs are urgently needed.

With all this complexity, it is not easy to extinguish fires in the capital. In fact, prevention efforts need to be increased, such as by conducting routine electrical installation replacements. The availability of handheld fire extinguishers and the involvement of trained volunteer firefighters in neighborhood units (RTs) and RWs are urgently needed.

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> Fire Hazards at Government Buildings Difficult to Monitor

> Police Check CCTV, Public Awaits Result

What happened in Jakarta can serve as a lesson for other cities in the country to improve their firefighting services and prepare cities for the threat of fire. The adage “Prepare the umbrella before it rains” is becoming more relevant. Prepare the fire extinguisher before the flare-up. Don't let the rice turn into porridge. The fire can destroy the fruits of years of hard work.

(This article was translated by Hendarsyah Tarmizi).