Golden Hour of Rescue, Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Encourage One SAR Operation Command

Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture (Menko PMK) Pratikno, together with the Head of Basarnas Mohammad Syafii ANTARA/M Riezko Bima Elko Prasetyo

JAKARTA - Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture (Menko PMK) Pratikno proposed the implementation of one national command in search and rescue (search and rescue/SAR) operations during emergencies to speed up the rescue process for victims.

The proposal was conveyed by Pratikno in a seminar entitled Strengthening Basarnas in the National SAR System in Jakarta, Thursday, February 12.

According to him, the focus of the SAR operation should not be solely on the search for victims, but should be directed at saving lives.

"Not only to concentrate on searching for victims, as is his tendency, but we need to concentrate on rescue, yes, rescue," said Pratikno, quoted by Antara.

He assessed that the one room, one data, and one command mechanism was very necessary so that all assets and resources across ministries and agencies could be moved quickly without being hampered by bureaucratic procedures when the emergency response status was determined.

With this scheme, the coordination line can immediately switch to SAR mode, so that the command and operational mechanism becomes simpler and focused on accelerating life-saving operations directly controlled by the Head of Basarnas.

"In emergency conditions, there is a 72-hour golden hour for survivors, so the time is very limited. The rescue operation does not rely solely on the courage of individuals, but requires a solid command system, adequate infrastructure, as well as technological support and human resources," he said.

Pratikno added that the need to strengthen the national SAR system was increasingly urgent considering the area of responsibility of Basarnas which reached approximately 5 million square kilometers, while the number of personnel was still limited.

Currently, Basarnas has 5,462 personnel spread across 45 SAR offices. This number is considered not commensurate with the service needs for around 280 million people spread across more than 5,000 islands in Indonesia.

"Especially with the potential risk increasing due to climate change and disaster intensity. Now the public demands for the speed and effectiveness of emergency handling are also increasing, especially in the era of social media which makes every response a broad spotlight," he said.

He believes that the gap between the potential risks and the response capacity must be narrowed through command integration and the optimal use of assets of the TNI, Polri, and relevant ministries and agencies that have the potential for SAR in an operation.

In addition, Pratikno also emphasized the importance of strengthening the internal Basarnas through the addition of facilities and infrastructure, as well as encouraging further discussion so that the national rescue system is more responsive and effective.