Strengthen synergies and collaborations. Search and rescue work is an integrated work involving ministries and institutions, the military, police, business entities, community organizations, and othersJakarta (ANTARA) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) urged the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) to strengthen collaboration and mitigation related to disasters by involving all elements, including members of the community.
"Strengthen synergies and collaborations. Search and rescue work is an integrated work involving ministries and institutions, the military, police, business entities, community organizations, and others," President Jokowi remarked while giving directions at the National Working Meeting of Basarnas 2022 through a video conference from the Jakarta State Palace, Monday.
The president called on the Basarnas to involve all elements of society and capitalize on various existing potentials whilst concurrently letting go of sectoral ego while conducting humanitarian operations.
In addition, the president appealed to Basarnas to strengthen disaster prevention, mitigation, and anticipation.
“Basarnas should conduct training to provide education on the search and rescue technique to the community on a massive scale. We must build awareness, so that people are more concerned and ready to take preventive measures, especially in disaster-prone and emergency areas," he explained.
The president also expects the national working meeting to produce innovative ideas that could be implemented in the form of important breakthroughs to improve the services offered by Basarnas to the community.
People's Consultative Assembly (MPR RI) Deputy Speaker Lestari Moerdijat earlier stressed that central and regional stakeholders should be consistent in building awareness on disasters among people living in disaster-prone areas.
"Stakeholders must consistently build awareness among people in disaster-prone areas, so that they understand the importance of emergency response steps when a disaster occurs," Moerdijat noted in a written statement received here on Monday.
According to Moerdijat, consistent emergency response training for people in disaster-prone areas is essential for preventing casualties when natural disasters strike.
The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) recorded 2,461 disasters in Indonesia from January 1 to November 18, 2021, she noted.
With that record, Moerdijat expects stakeholders at the central and regional levels to prioritize precautionary efforts against the threat of natural disasters to avoid falling victim to them.
Such precautionary measures could include providing sufficient knowledge and understanding to the community, especially to those living in disaster-prone areas, regarding several actions they must take immediately during a natural disaster, he affirmed.
Moreover, Moerdijat called for consistent dissemination of maps of disaster-prone areas and training related to emergency response measures aimed at people living in disaster areas to reduce panic when natural disasters occur.
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Translator: Rangga P, Azis Kurmala
Editor: Sri Haryati
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