Traces Of Firefighters In Indonesia Since The Londo Era

Colonial era Surabaya fire department (Source: Leiden University Libraries)

JAKARTA - It is undeniable that the role of firefighters (damkar) is very vital in our lives, especially in urban areas. They are at the forefront in suppressing the red rooster, both in residential areas to vital objects of the state. In Indonesia, their actions have been recorded since the colonial era. How is the history?

A few days ago, the RI Attorney General's Office (Kejagung) on Jalan Sultan Hasanudin Dalam Number 1, Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta, caught fire. The savior is none other than firefighters. 65 units of fire trucks and 230 personnel were deployed to extinguish the fire. This is one of the thousands of fire cases that have occurred since the Dutch era.

Damkar has existed since Indonesia was still colonized by the Dutch. At that time, the company began to think about forming Brandweer - the term damkar - in Surabaya and Batavia.

In 1795 when the Dutch were controlled by France, a fire fighting unit named de Brandweer te Surabaya was established. Meanwhile, in Batavia (now Jakarta) de Brandweer te Batavia was only formed when the Dutch regained their sovereignty through the Vienna Congress in 1815.

"In historical records, damkar in the city of Surabaya is the oldest position in Indonesia. As written by Von Faber, in Oud Sorabaia, Uitgegeven Doorde Gemeente Soerabaia, the establishment of de Brandweer (Damkar) Surabaya existed long before de Brandweer Batavia. In 1931, in the city of Surabaya, de Brandweer affairs began to be organized by the Dutch East Indies government, on 4 September 1810. Then in Batavia (Jakarta), which began to be organized in 1873, "wrote Mansyur in Bandjarmasin Tempo Doeloe: Small Sketches from Past Frames ( 2019).

The formation of Brandweer was also designed as a component of the tool for carrying out Company aggression in the Dutch East Indies. In which, the colonial government began to seriously instill its power in both governing, regulating, and providing facilities that provided services to the community.

Uniquely, the first time Brandweer was formed it did not have permanent officers. It was only in the 1850s that the official firefighters were formed. However, it has not been taken seriously. Later, the serious organization of Brandweer only took place because of a large fire incident in the Kramat Kwitang area in 1913.

The big fire was a valuable lesson for the Company. Many houses could not be saved because Brandweer did not have adequate extinguishers. Based on this, Batavia's first mayor, GJ. Bisschop inaugurated de Branweer Batavia in 1919.

The firefighters in Batavia were dominated by professional Dutch citizens. Even the colonial government then equipped it with modern equipment.

Of course their equipment is far different from today. In the past, there was no tanker filled with cubes of water. Fire extinguishers in the past only had ladders, manual hand-spraying tools, to clothes and helmets like raincoats that were not fire resistant.

Fire headquarters (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Greeted positively

Even so, the work of de Branweer Batavia actually received a positive response in the community. Through a group of Betawi community leaders, de Brandweer Batavia was given the first award for the service of firefighters. The award was given in the form of an inscription on March 1, 1929, with the words:

During the period of Soeda-Soeda, the danger of the fire was seldom burned out and broke out.

Not choosing high and low lace as low as tahoen until now since Brandweer came against the dangers of forbidden moedah fire makes us happy.

A sign of joy and acceptance of our kassi all the Betawi people are cheering on this day.

Betawi, March 1, 1929

Alwi Shahab in the book Saudagar Baghdad dari Betawi (2004) describes the Batavia fire conquering army as headquartered in the Petojo area. "Still in the Petojo area, Jalan Zainul Arifin (Gang Ketapang) in the Dutch era was named Brandweerweg. This is because at that location there is a fire department or brandweer, ”he wrote.

Then when Indonesia fell into the lap of Japan, de Brandweer Batavia changed its name and regulations. This is stated in the provision known as "Osamu Seirei No. II "about" Syoobootai "or what is known as the fire department.

It was only after Indonesian independence, that the firefighters were confirmed as the Fire Brigade (BPK). As the name implies, the main task of the BPK is still focused on firefighting efforts. Then, in 1975 the Governor of DKI issued a Decree (SK) which stipulated the name of the official fire agency as the Fire Service as it is known today.

Fire trucks (Source: Wikimedia Commons)