Firefighters in Indonesia respond to range of calls for help, highlighting service gaps

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5 days ago

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Wahyu Sinoval was out of options.
The year 10 Indonesian student needed someone, anyone, to pick up his report card.
In Indonesia, a parent or guardian would normally collect a student's end of year academic report card.
But Wahyu's father died in 2023 and his mother doesn't go out anymore due to her Tourette syndrome, a neurological condition which causes involuntary movements and vocalisations, known as tics.
Wahyu's aunt became his legal guardian and main caregiver, but could no longer help after suffering a stroke earlier this year.
"I already asked my friends' mothers and my neighbour for help, but none of them were available," Wahyu told the ABC.
The 16-year-old, who lives in Central Java, made an unconventional decision.
"I also once saw on social media that there was a firefighter who was willing to help pick up a student's report card."
After doing some research, Wahyu reached out to one of the local firefighters, Ade Bhakti Ariawan, on Instagram, asking him to pick up his report card.
Wahyu was surprised to not only receive a reply, but Mr Ariawan also agreed to pick up a report card for his younger brother, Alfian.
The local fire department shared the story on Instagram and the act of kindness quickly went viral online, with many praising the firefighter's compassion and humanity.
In an interview with local media, Mr Ariawan said firefighters should serve and help people wherever possible.
"As long as it's doable, why not?" he said.
"It's about humanity."
On a different Indonesian island, in South Lampung, firefighter Rully Satrya also received a request to collect a report card for a year 10 student, Meyva Azzahra.
"Her father remarried and went away. Her mother is a migrant worker overseas," Mr Satrya told the ABC.
"The only family left is her elderly grandmother who can't walk far."
Without anyone else who could help, Mr Satrya collected her card.
Mr Satrya said although picking up report cards was not part of his job, his team tried to help in cases like this because "compassion matters most".
"Some people in the community might ask, 'What happens if a fire breaks out while a firefighter is out collecting a student's report card?' and concerned that our core duties might be neglected," Mr Satrya said.
"There's no need to worry as we've carefully considered these situations, and there is always a team on stand-by to carry out our primary responsibilities."
Aside from helping school students, other requests to firefighters in Indonesia range from serious to bizarre.
Mr Ariawan told local media that his fire department unit was receiving an increasing number of unusual requests.
"Just yesterday, someone needed help removing a ring from their genitals," he told Tribun News.
Firefighters have also often been called to catch wild animals like snakes, crocodiles, or lizards, in residential areas.
But lately, Mr Satrya said the requests have become more "bizarre".
"We've been asked to drive out ghosts from homes, fix leaking roofs … you name it," Mr Satrya said.
Local media have also reported incidents where residents in Sumatra and East Java have contacted firefighters to assist with banishing what they believed to be ghosts from their homes.
In another case this year near Jakarta, a student who had just broken up with her boyfriend asked firefighters to celebrate her birthday with her at the fire station.
In Bekasi, 25 kilometres from Jakarta, a woman reported domestic violence to the local fire service out of frustration and desperation because her initial report to police had not been followed up.
The next day police arrested the male perpetrator, in a case widely reported on by local media.
Last year, in Central Borneo, residents contacted the fire department when a suspected burglary was underway at a local school. The firefighters caught the thief and turned him in.
Public policy expert Adinda Tenriangke Muchtar, from The Indonesian Institute, said the public's growing reliance on firefighters for non-emergency tasks highlighted a problem.
"There's a communication issue as people don't clearly understand the roles of public service institutions," Dr Muchtar told the ABC.
She urged the Indonesian government, media, and public services to better educate citizens on where and when to seek help.
Dr Muchtar said the public viewed the fire service as "low-hanging fruit" because they were easy to contact and requests did not involve paperwork or costs.
She said the call-outs from students needing help with collecting their report cards showed there was a failure in the social support network.
"There should have been concern from community around the children," she said, adding schools should provide alternatives for students in special circumstances.
Dr Muchtar said fire services should not feel obligated to respond to all requests.
She said fire services should guide people toward appropriate services.
"You might say, 'Please contact social services for this matter,' or 'Let us connect you with them and they'll reach out shortly.' That would be much more constructive," she said.
"If every public service institution fulfilled its proper role … then over time, people would naturally learn, 'This is what fire departments do, this is the function of social services,' and so on."
Dr Muchtar said while some people trusted fire services more than other institutions like the police force, putting too much responsibility on firefighters could mean other services were underused.
"This phenomenon should serve as a prompt for institutional evaluation, not merely a celebration of the fire brigade's responsiveness."
Wahyu, while thankful for help, understands that collecting report cards is not part of a firefighter's remit.
"I know their job is to put out fires and perform rescues," he said.
"So next year I'll try to find someone else first again. The fire department will only be my last resort."