As part of Staff Capacity Enhancement Program, Tokyo Fire Department holds rescue technique training with ANMC21 members each year. This training had the purpose of developing leaders in rescue techniques for each Asian city, and improving fire fighting rescue techniques suited to the specifics of each region. We report on the training session that was held in Jakarta.

In November of 2011, 2 leaders from the Jakarta Fire Department visited Tokyo. The Fire Rescue Task Forces acted as instructors, and conducted 2 weeks of practical rescue drills matched to disaster conditions in Jakarta. Then, for 3 weeks beginning February 15th, 2012, 5 members of the Tokyo Fire Department visited Jakarta to give follow-up training. The 5 instructors dispatched were the members of the Fire Rescue Task Forces who work on the front lines of rescue. Not only did they have enough experience in ordinary firefighting and rescuing, they had achieved high performance in difficult situation that required advanced knowledge and skills. They joined the program with strong enthusiasm.

The training in Jakarta took place in Jakarta Fire Training and Management Disaster Center on the outskirts of Jakarta city. Since this is the only training center in Indonesia, it accepts trainees from a variety of fire departments within the country. In addition to local participants from Jakarta, the training included participants from Sumatra and Lombok, totaling 34 fire fighters.
When I arrived at the site, I was concerned about some of the planned events that differed from the training curriculum. By holding detailed meetings with the instructors of the center, however, we were able to begin the training without any difficulties. There were national and cultural differences. Each day's training began with shirtless running at 5 AM, and went on to strength training, rescue techniques with ropes and ladders, rescue techniques from fires and high places, and other techniques ranging from basic to advanced were practiced from morning until evening. Believing "when in Jakarta, do as the Jakartans do," we decided to leave the city hotel and to stay in the training center dorm with the other trainees. Despite speaking different languages, by singing together while running and sweating, we were easily able to come out of our shells.

The lectures began with instructors from Jakarta teaching their rescue techniques. Then the Tokyo Fire Department used the Jakarta rescue equipment to demonstrate and teach Tokyo techniques. Although it was challenging to use different equipment, Jakarta's instructors and trainees expressed much interest in Tokyo's rescue techniques, posing many questions such as "Which rescue techniques were most useful in the Great East Japan Earthquake?" and "What's most important in raising the survival rate?" Jakarta's rescue techniques were also a great source of reference for us.
The Tokyo rescue techniques we taught will pass on to other Indonesian rescuers in more sophisticated training programs. Having seen the intense training of the Jakarta fire fighters and their direct questions in response to the lectures, I realized that even if rescue techniques and tools may differ, the strong drive in the hearts of rescue personnel to "save lives no matter what" is the same everywhere.
" There is no boundary in the FIRE&RESCUE ."
In the future, we expect to further deepen positive relations with the Jakarta Fire Department.