Disasters can occur anytime and anywhere. Disasters can be caused by both humans and nature. Examples of human-caused disasters include floods and fires. Natural disasters include volcanic eruptions and earthquakes.

Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, is one of the most densely populated cities, with a throng of human activity. Therefore, if a disaster occurs, Jakarta has the potential to be a city with a high death toll. This potential number of casualties can be reduced if the public knows the proper mitigation methods, so they can protect themselves and those around them.

Disasters that can and often occur in Jakarta are fires and floods. Earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions are unlikely to occur in Jakarta. However, given Indonesia’s geographical location at the junction of two plates and a subduction zone, these three disasters have the potential to impact Jakarta, especially earthquakes.

The UI Geosciences community service team, in collaboration with the Jakarta Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), has conducted a series of events to develop disaster-ready young cadres since last August. The disasters that are the focus of this cadre training are fires, floods, and earthquakes. In the future, these young cadres are expected to pass on and apply the knowledge they have gained, especially to those around them.

This began in mid-July 2018 with educational events on disaster mitigation at SMA Vons Vitae 1.

This was followed by a second series of events, namely socialization and mitigation, on August 31, 2018, at SMAN 31, East Jakarta.

Iskandarsyah, M.Si, a lecturer in the Geosciences study program at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Indonesia (FMIPA UI), stated, “If a megathrust earthquake with a magnitude above 7 on the Richter scale occurs in the Sunda Strait, the tremors may be felt as far away as Jakarta, but they will not be as severe as those at the epicenter. Nevertheless, we should be vigilant from the outset.”

For these two series of educational, socialization, and disaster mitigation activities, FMIPA UI invited three representatives from three selected schools to participate in workshops with the Jakarta Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD). The three selected schools were SMA PSKD 2 Jakarta, SMA Vons Vitae 1 Jakarta, and SMAN 31 Jakarta.

The workshop with the Jakarta Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) was held on November 10th at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Indonesia (UI), Depok. The Head of the Preparedness Section, Embai Suhaimi, SE, and other members of the Jakarta BPBD team, including Saura Agnes Cecaria, SH, Riesma Oktapriana, SKM, and Ervienia Oryza Sativa, S.Kep, Ns, M.Si, were present.

The workshop was divided into three groups: flood, fire, and earthquake. Each group consisted of representatives from different schools. Each team then discussed plans for what to do if their school were affected by each of these disasters. They then evaluated whether their school had a designated assembly point or evacuation zone. They then planned when to conduct disaster awareness campaigns for all students.

To further the ongoing knowledge gained by the young cadres and to conclude the series of community service activities of the Geosciences study program at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (FMIPA) University of Indonesia (UI), on November 28, 2018, the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (UI) held another disaster mitigation education session for elementary school students at SDIT AL-Iman Cipinang, East Jakarta.

The UI Geosciences community service team, in collaboration with the Jakarta Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), specifically the Head of the Preparedness Section, Embai Suhaimi, SE, and his team, assessed the cadres in conveying the knowledge they had learned in the previous workshop.

The cadres at SDIT AL-Iman were tasked with explaining disaster mitigation methods for fires, floods, and earthquakes and demonstrating them to the students in simple language. One way to convey this was through songs to help them understand.

Some of the students also admitted to having homes that frequently flood. Therefore, the cadres encouraged their parents to always gather important documents in one bag so they could be prepared for evacuation if signs of flooding began to appear. This also applies to evacuations for other disasters. Apart from that, if you see signs of flooding and fire, you should immediately turn off the electricity, because water is a good medium for electricity.

“That is the importance of disaster education cadres from an early age, so that the community is more… aware “If a disaster occurs, it is hoped that with the presence of cadres, new cadres will emerge who can continue this disaster education on an ongoing basis,” explained Reza Syahputra, a lecturer in the Geology Study Program.