DKI Jakarta Fire Department Doesn't Have Helicopters In Today's Memory, October 26, 2015

The Jakarta Fire Department's Action to extinguish the fire. (ANTARA)

JAKARTA Memories of today, nine years ago, October 26, 2015, the Governor of DKI Jakarta, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama (Ahok) canceled the plan to purchase helicopters for the DKI Jakarta fire department. The cancellation was carried out because the central government had actually allocated it in the APBN.

Previously, Ahok wanted firefighters in DKI Jakarta to have helicopters. The presence of helicopters is considered capable of working effectively in extinguishing the fire. Ahok also allocated a budget for procurement.

Fire disasters in Jakarta are often not easily extinguished. Everything because firefighters have to fight with traffic jams until the road is narrow. Time runs out on the road. This condition made the house or building that should have been saved sold out by fire.

This scene is often seen. However, the Jakarta fire department has no power to make maximum efforts. Fleet limitations are a problem. The problem was smelled by the Governor of DKI Jakarta, Ahok. He acknowledged how difficult it was to extinguish the fire, especially in slum areas.

Sometimes fire engines can't enter. Ahok also said that the DKI Jakarta Fire Department had a helicopter. The presence of helicopters is considered important for Jakarta, which in fact is the City of Metropolitan.

The desire to have an iron cap is not just a dream in broad daylight. The price of helicopters for firefighters is considered reasonable. The price is around Rp. 200 billion. The DKI government was also able to prepare it.

Ahok assessed that later the helicopter could be multifunctional: extinguish the fire and evacuate the fire victims. Ahok also wanted that the fire fighting story would no longer be able to access the location. As a result, firefighters can serve effectively.

"DKI is also the case for the slum areas of fire so far, hundreds and thousands (of houses), but fire engines cannot enter the slums. If you have used a helicopter, you can directly (mix the fire)".

"From the Rp300 billion APBD, the most expensive helicopter is Rp200 billion, it's just big. Can it be used for ambulances too. So it's multifunctional. UPS alone can buy Rp1.2 trillion (which is suspected to be markup), can't helicopters?" Ahok quipped as quoted on the 6.com coverage page, October 24, 2015.

Ahok's seriousness in presenting helicopters for firefighters is unquestionable. Later the plan stopped in the middle of the road. Ahok decided to cancel the helicopter purchase plan on October 26, 2015.

The cancellation was made after Ahok met Jokowi and the Indonesian Air Force. The central government has in fact allocated helicopter purchase affairs to the state budget. Helicopters will later be handed over to the Indonesian Air Force.

Ahok thinks that the DKI Jakarta government will cooperate with the Indonesian Air Force if there is a fire. He also decided to divert funds prepared by the DKI Jakarta government to build flats, especially flats for soldiers.

"I have met with the Chief of Staff of the Indonesian Air Force (KSAU), with the President (Jokowi) as well, and it is known that the central government has handed over the purchase of the helicopter to the Indonesian Air Force. So, we just cancel it,"

"So, if everything has been budgeted by the central government in the APBN, then we think that our budget should be used for the construction of flats for soldiers. If at any time in Jakarta there is a fire and helicopters need to extinguish it, later we will just help it to the Indonesian Air Force, therefore, now we use the budget to build flats," Ahok said as quoted by the ANTARA website, October 26, 2015.