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Indonesia

Emergency Response Training in YAKKUM Emergency Unit: Strengthening Staff Preparedness for Disaster Response

Sita Pratitha

YAKKUM Emergency Unit (YEU) organized a two-day emergency response training on Thursday and Friday, 11-12 July, 2024, at Disaster Oasis (DIOS). The training used YEU's inclusive Emergency Response guidelines and was attended by YEU Jogja staff, facilitated by the YEU team itself. As an organization committed to inclusive emergency response, YEU needs to ensure that its staff are skilled and ready to be deployed in emergency situations. Given that emergency response projects are often urgent and short-term, all YEU staff must be prepared to become reliable initial response teams.

The first day of training began with a Refreshment Session on the Code of Conduct in humanitarian work, presented by Ratna Dewi Susianti, YEU's HR Manager. In this session, participants were reminded on the code of conduct used in YEU's humanitarian work, such as the Core Humanitarian Standard and the Humanitarian Inclusion Standard. Participants were involved in a card-matching game that paired each humanitarian charter's legal instrument with its content. The session continued with an explanation of Disaster Management Clusters by Dhinar Riski from the Program Division team. Dhinar explained the eight clusters in disaster management both internationally and nationally, the roles, institutions, and agencies involved, as well as the latest developments in the composition of disaster management clusters in Indonesia. Participants were again involved in a game to group which institution is involved in each cluster.

Debora Dian Utami, Director of YEU, then introduced YEU's network partners, such as the Humanitarian Forum Indonesia (HFI) and the Christian Community Network for Disaster Management in Indonesia (JAKOMKRIS PBI). A representative from JAKOMKRIS, Mr. Deni, was also invited to share about the history and program collaboration with YEU.

The highlight of the first day was a discussion on YEU's emergency response system and guidelines, facilitated by Arnice Ajawaila, the Emergency Response Coordinator. Participants were asked to write action plans for each disaster response timeframe, from the first 24 hours to three months after the event. All participants then discussed whether the actions are suitable and feasible for each timeframe.

On the second day, participants followed a disaster management simulation using the table top exercise (TTX) method. They were asked to plan a response to the 2018 Palu earthquake and tsunami disaster, dividing the participants into four groups to create action plans from the first 24 hours to three months after the event. Each group presented their plans, and facilitators gave feedback based on YEU's real experiences during the Palu disaster. The simulation was lively and engaging, with participants actively discussing and asking questions about best practices and challenges faced. The training concluded with a discussion on good practices carried out by each YEU division in responding to disasters, providing valuable insights to enhance the team's preparedness in facing future emergency situations.