The world has praised Indonesia for its abilities in conducting search and rescue (SAR) service given this archipelagic country is highly disaster-prone and composed of 17,506 islands, with the total length of coastline reaching
99.095 KM.
“Indonesia has often experienced natural disasters so they have excellent abilities to investigate and respond to various incidents,” said Greg Waldron, editor of a leading aviation magazine Flightglobal as quoted on Wall Street Journal, on December 30, 2014, right after Indonesia SAR team (Basarnas)
discovered the wrecks of AirAsia Flight QZ8501 crashed on December 28, 2014, in The Java Sea.
Mark Martin, an independent aviation consultant, Martin Consulting, said that Indonesia actually has unmanned ships capable of tracking the existence of objects under the sea. “If there is a plane sinking in the sea, I am sure, the Indonesian side can quickly track it and the search process will succeed,” he
said.
It was further explained how the Basarnas is deemed to have been specifically experienced in investigations and security measures in handling airplane accidents. An example, the Lion Air Boeing 737- 800 crashed down in the Bali sea in April 2013. Another example is the report made on the Sukhoi Superjet crash in Bogor, West Java, killing 45 people in May 2012.
In addition to the field operation, the Indonesia Government is considered very capable in handling the situation when it comes to approaching the victim families. “Authority and the Aviation company are coordinating and cooperating well. They prioritize the families of the victims in this situation,” said an aviation analyst Will Ripley as quoted by CNN.
Indonesian region is strategically located between two continents and two oceans, making it on the crossing spot of the busiest flight and shipping routes. Even though the technological advances have fortified the
transportation, it, however, will always pose risks.
This challenge will continue to grow alongside the modes of transportation development which makes the mobility of people and goods increase over time. To cope with the accident risk getting higher, Basarnas conducts continuous training programs and increase the availability of SAR equipment.
The existing equipment is currently still inadequate to reach the vast territory of Indonesia. Therefore, SAR operations are still heavily dependent on the other SAR potentials in both government and private institutions. With the increased responsibilities assumed by Basarnas, it is expected that the fulfillment of SAR facilities and infrastructure can be adequately implemented.
The Head of the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) Air Marshall M. Syaugi, S.Sos., M.M. stated that the success of SAR operation is determined by three factors, namely speed, accuracy, and competencies or human resources. “These three factors are the mandatories for all personnel to be able to
respond to the challenges of the search and rescue service quickly, accurately, safely,” said M. Syaugi.
Basarnas plays a critical role during all periods of disaster, conducting effective SAR operations efficiently, safely and securely, anytime and anywhere. Basarnas will be at the forefront of an ongoing natural disaster,
saving lives and preventing more loss.
For more information on Basarnas, please send email to basarnas@basarnas.go.id
SOURCE: Basarnas
