403 police personnel to raise awareness on preventing wildfires

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian National Police has prepared 403 personnel from its Police Education and Training Institute to raise public awareness of wildfire risks and prevention.

In a statement received here on Tuesday, the institute Chairman Commissioner General R.Z. Panca Putra Simanjuntak noted that the initiative follows President Prabowo Subianto’s instruction for the police to step up contributions to wildfire prevention.

He said the President and National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo emphasized the importance of intensifying educational engagement with the public to rally more residents behind prevention efforts.

Simanjuntak added that the 403 personnel would launch a comprehensive campaign extending beyond appeals by educating residents about wildfire causes and impacts, as well as the importance of public participation.

He asserted that the approach is necessary because wildfires could threaten public health and local economies, warning that fires and haze could also affect neighboring countries.

On that note, he underscored the need for integrated measures, including the deployment of educational officers, 395 of whom are currently pursuing education at three police schools.

Elaborating further, Simanjuntak said the personnel would form educational teams tasked with raising public awareness in fire-prone provinces: West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, South Kalimantan, North Kalimantan, South Sumatra, Riau, and Jambi.

The teams, he continued, are set to work in coordination with provincial police commands and engage various elements of society to ensure their approaches are tailored to the conditions and characteristics of each region.

Brigadier General Auliansyah Lubis, a senior officer at Polri’s Chief of Operations Office, described the educational initiative as part of the police’s strategy to contribute to wildfire mitigation.

He highlighted that the force had also mobilized its Mobile Brigade Corps to support ongoing firefighting operations.

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Translator: N.P. Rahmani, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Bayu Prasetyo
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