Strengthening Synergy to Combat Forest and Land Fires: Three Companies in Kubu Raya Hold Fire Preparedness Training and Drill
Kubu Raya – Three plantation companies in Kubu Raya—PT Graha Agro Nusantara (GAN), PT Nusa Jaya Perkasa (NJP), and PT Bumi Alam Sentosa (BAS)—have demonstrated their strong commitment to preventing forest and land fire (Karhutla). From June 24 to 26, 2025, the companies collaborated to conduct a comprehensive fire preparedness training and emergency response drill, held within the concession area of PT Graha Agro Nusantara.
This initiative reflects the companies’ dedication to protecting peatland ecosystems and biodiversity within their concessions from the threat of fire. The collaborative event aimed to strengthen the capacity of internal fire response teams and actively engage surrounding communities in prevention efforts.
The program commenced with a technical fire suppression training session, facilitated by expert instructors from Mangala Agni – Pontianak. A total of 29 participants took part, including Fire Response Teams from each company, along with representatives from the Fire-Aware Farmers Groups (Kelompok Tani Peduli Api or KTPA) and the Peat Care Village Program (Desa Mandiri Peduli Gambut or DMPG). These participants came from seven surrounding villages: Muara Baru, Kuala Bakung, Kali Bandung, Permata Jaya, Pasak Piang, Simpang Kanan, and Bengkarek.
The training aimed not only to reinforce participants’ knowledge and skills in combating peatland fires but also to ensure the operational readiness and correct use of firefighting equipment.
"The purpose of this activity is to maximize fire prevention and response in plantation areas, community lands around PT GAN, and the Kubu Raya region, which predominantly consists of peatland," explained Fajar Budi Prayitno, Estate Manager of PT GAN.
Additionally, the training is expected to foster closer collaboration and synergy between companies and local communities in preventing peatland fires, including through more comprehensive water management practices.
The initiative was warmly welcomed and appreciated by the community. M. Sifon, a member of the KTPA from Muara Baru Village, expressed his gratitude for the inclusion of community groups in the event. “We are thankful to PT GAN for maintaining good relationships with Fire-Aware Community Groups. This greatly enhances our joint efforts. The company has also previously provided us with fire suppression equipment, which has been extremely helpful,” he shared.
The event continued with a Fire Emergency Response Readiness Drill, along with awareness sessions and fire suppression simulations. These activities not only reinforced the readiness of fire response teams and communities but also strengthened multi-stakeholder cooperation in safeguarding peat ecosystems, improving water governance, and preserving biodiversity.
"We would like to thank and commend the company, particularly PT GAN, for its cooperation with each village. We hope this strong partnership in early fire prevention can minimize the spread of fires, especially on peatlands. We also hope that activities like this can be held annually so that firefighting teams can continually refresh their knowledge and skills," said Surip, Head of Pasak Piang Village.
Echoing this sentiment, AIPDA Beri Prima, the Community Police Officer (Babinkamtibmas) of Sungai Raya, expressed his appreciation and emphasized the importance of continuity. “Considering the high risk of forest and land fires in Kubu Raya and the increasingly unpredictable weather conditions, we strongly encourage companies to continue fostering collaboration with all stakeholders in Karhutla prevention efforts,” he stated.
The Fire Emergency Response Readiness Drill was attended by company executives, local government officials including the Sub-District Head, Police Chief, Military Commander, village representatives, and members of KTPA and DMPG. The event concluded with the signing of a joint commitment to continue strengthening collaboration in the prevention and mitigation of forest and land fires on peatlands.
Source :
https://pontianak.tribunnews.com/2025/06/28/pt-gan-pt-njp-pt-bas-gelar-pelatihan-dan-apel-kesiapsiagaan-tanggap-daruat-karhutla
