North Jakarta and Thousand Islands Fire Handling and Rescue (Gulkarmat) Sub-agency will launch the Gerakan Masyarakat Punya APAR (GEMPAR) program.

"We hope that residents become more aware and are willing to take early preventive measures against fires,"

This program aligns with the instruction of the Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung, regarding the importance of owning a fire extinguisher (APAR) for early fire prevention.

North Jakarta and Thousand Islands Gulkarmat Sub-agency Acting Head, Budi Haryono mentioned that GEMPAR program aims to minimize the impact of fires and serves as the first line of defense when a fire is still manageable.

He pointed out that fires are a major cause of mass poverty, and one effective way to handle them swiftly is by ensuring every household has a fire extinguisher.

"We often conduct socialization on fire extinguishers. But this time, we will intensify our efforts and urge residents to have at least one APAR in their homes," he asserted.

He explained that his party has distributed 5,493 fire extinguishers to residential areas through RT/RW administrators. The distribution details are as follows: 574 fire extinguishers in 2015, 3,424 fire extinguishers in 2017, 39 fire extinguishers in 2022, 448 fire extinguishers in 2023, and 1,008 fire extinguishers in 2024.

"The fire extinguishers distributed to residents weigh 3.5 kilograms. This year, we plan to distribute over 1,000 APARs based on the Fire Management Area (WMK) data for each RW," he stated.

He added that residents can purchase an APAR independently at safety stores or via online. If all households have at least one fire extinguisher, large fire can be prevented quickly.

"Each time we socialize this with the residents, we also explain the function, types, and maintenance of APARs. We hope that residents become more aware and are willing to take early preventive measures against fires," he expressed.