Jakarta Mobilizes 500 Buildings for Simultaneous Earthquake Drill

Jakarta Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) rolled out a massive simultaneous earthquake simulation across approximately 500 buildings on Wednesday (10/21) at 10 AM.

Earthquakes are extremely dangerous and unpredictable

Executed under INSEKDA No. e-0044 of 2026, The participating venues included seven mayoral, regency, and gubernatorial offices, a technical department building, a district office, 127 urban village offices, two BUMD facilities, and 362 school buildings.

Jakarta BPBD Head Marulitua Sijabat stated that the citywide earthquake drill is part of the Jakarta government’s ongoing push to build a strong culture of disaster awareness across government institutions, schools, and local communities.

Earthquake Simulation at Held East Jakarta Mayor's Office

"Through this simulation, we hope the public gains a clearer understanding of the right life-saving steps to take during an earthquake," he expressed, Wednesday (10/21).

Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Division Head for Jakarta BPBD, Parulian Tampubolon noted that the exercise was triggered by a warning alarm broadcast via BMKG’s Early Warning System (EWS) mobile application.

According to him, the simulation is a core component of Jakarta BPBD's multi-year readiness initiative launched in 2024. The agency had already rolled out safety briefings across schools to equip students with life-saving protocols.

"Our educational outreach has been running consistently across 2024, 2025, and 2026 through school visits, training, and drills. This simulation serves as a refresher course on staying safe during an earthquake," he explained.

This simulation doubles as a comprehensive audit to measure how prepared facility managers, teachers, students, and tenants are for real emergencies.

Evaluations center on critical factors such as evacuation route clearings and emergency exit response times.

"This allows us to test building and occupant readiness firsthand. We will provide feedback on their evacuation routes and exit times, ensuring any identified flaws are promptly corrected," he added.

Parulian hoped that the feedback would encourage facility operators to upgrade necessary safety measures, particularly emergency support infrastructure.

"Ultimately, every occupant should be well-versed in evacuation protocols and know how to react swiftly to save themselves during a tremor," he added.

Meanwhile, SMKN 2 Jakarta Principal Tri Windarti, welcomed the earthquake simulation held at her school. SMKN 2 Jakarta was designated as one of the key simulation locations representing Central Jakarta.

She noted that faculty and staff were actively engaged in the preparation, emphasizing that ongoing disaster education is crucial for building emergency readiness across the entire school campus

Through hands-on practice, participants are expected to understand the required safety actions and master proper evacuation procedures during an earthquake.

"Earthquakes are extremely dangerous and unpredictable. That's why this simulation is so valuable—it ensures our students and the entire school community, including teachers and administrative staff, are both physically and mentally prepared for any unexpected emergency," she uttered.