According to Satriadi Gunawan, then-head of the Jakarta Fire and Rescue Agency, Glodok Plaza did not meet fire-safety requirements including having proper fire extinguishers and evacuation routes.
As of January 2025, 361 out of 1,228 high-rise buildings in Jakarta had yet to meet fire-safety standards, Satriadi said at the time, as reported by news outlet Kompas.
Among 1,381 medium- and low-rise buildings, 333 were found to be non-compliant, he said.
Yayat said city authorities should also scrutinise building materials to ensure they are fire-resistant, especially for structural elements and partitions.
“Many buildings in Jakarta are wrapped in glass façades with limited ventilation or (lack) emergency windows for aesthetic reasons,” he said.
“When a fire breaks out, the smoke accumulates inside with nowhere to escape.”
Nirwono said the city government should already be able to classify which buildings pose the highest fire risk.
But if the Jakarta government lacks specialists, he said, it can collaborate with professional associations or academics to carry out audits or inspections.
“Focus first on buildings where people live — residential towers, for instance — as a preventive measure,” Nirwono said.
Tito said new buildings must go through the Building Approval (PBG) process issued by local governments. For PBG issuance, a Certificate of Proper Function (SLF) is needed and this entails an inspection by the Fire Department for safety features such as extinguishers, evacuation routes and sprinklers.
In practice, however, there are gaps, including the absence of routine inspections once a building is operational, Tito said. “I asked around — there’s no regulation requiring regular inspections, say once a year or every two years,” he said.
Nirwono said such gaps pose a safety hazard.
After a PBG is granted, he noted, the actual construction may not match the approved blueprints.
“Or the building may match the plans, but its use may differ due to budget limitations,” he said.
“For example, in shophouses or office buildings, the plans might include evacuation routes, but these often end up cluttered with goods that obstruct movement during emergencies.”
NEW RISKS POSED BY LITHIUM, CAR BATTERIES
In light of the Terra Drone case apparently originating from a drone battery, Nirwono said the classification of business types for building permits also matters.
“That means companies storing such batteries carry inherent fire risks. And battery fires require different extinguishing techniques than regular fire extinguishers,” Nirwono said. Fire extinguishers are known in Indonesia as APAR.
He added that many places store such batteries — phone shops, for instance, or electric-vehicle showrooms.
“Are there training programmes for putting out battery fires? Are firefighters prepared for these scenarios? This is still a new skill set in Indonesia,” he said.
Yayat said the Terra Drone fire also shows the need for a clear separation of building functions — whether a facility serves as a warehouse or an office.
Some businesses handle sensitive and flammable materials such as gas cylinders, lithium batteries or drone batteries, all of which require special storage at specific temperatures.
“The Proper Function Certificate should also assess how a building is used — as an office or as a storage area. If functions overlap, they should be separated, especially when flammable materials are involved,” he said.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/indonesia-jakarta-terra-drone-fire-safety-evacuation-arrest-building-inspection-5576006
