KUBU RAYA, WEST KALIMATAN – The Emergency Health Response (RDK) of the Free Healthcare Service (LKC) and the Disaster Management Center (DMC) of Dompet Dhuafa have opened a Safe School at SMAN 4 Sungai Raya, Arang Limbung Village, Sungai Raya District, Kubu Raya Regency, on Saturday (26/8/2023). This Safe School follows the recommendations of the Ministry of Education and Culture for schools in smoky areas.
The room chosen to become the Safe School is the School Health Unit (UKS). The selection of the UKS as a Safe School is because this room serves as a medical service and treatment point if any students, educators, or anyone from the school experience health issues due to exposure to forest and land fires (Karhutla).
It is known that SMAN 4 Sungai Raya is threatened by Karhutla smoke because the school is surrounded by easily flammable peatland. On Sunday (20/8/2023), a fire broke out and burned the land in front of the school. The distance between the fire and the school was approximately 20-30 meters. Fortunately, the fire was quickly extinguished by disaster response volunteers.
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“The incident happened on Sunday afternoon, and we didn’t know there was a fire. I immediately went to the location, saw the Karhutla, and reported it to the School Principal’s Working Meeting (Musyawarah Kerja Kepala Sekolah or MKKS), then reported it to the Head of the Department of Education and Culture. Thank God it was responded to promptly. The fire was quite significant, covering the left, back, and front sides. So, there was a lot of smoke,” explained Iskandar, the School Principal.
Due to this incident, SMAN 4 Sungai Raya had to conduct online learning activities from their respective homes. The principle of the Safe School is to filter polluted air entering the classrooms, provide circulation, purify and refresh the air in the classrooms, and exhaust the air out of the classrooms.
“Alhamdulillah this can exist at our school. Everything within the school premises, anyone who feels short of breath or has other health issues can be attended to at this Safe School,” said Nazwa Salsabila, a 2nd-year student at SMAN 4 Sungai Raya.
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Inside the Safe School room, there is Dacron foam covering the air circulation vents. Its purpose is to filter and trap smoke and accompanying small particles, preventing students and school staff from inhaling them. The Dacron foam is regularly sprayed with water to keep it moist and capable of absorbing smoke particles.
“Alhamdulillah, the smoke and dust cannot enter (minimizing it). The room becomes clean,” explained Puput Sukma Irianti, the Coordinator of PMR at SMAN 4 Sungai Raya.
In the room’s ventilation, exhaust fans are installed to draw air from inside the room and expel it, placed on the walls opposite the source of pollutants. Additionally, each window is equipped with cloth curtains that are periodically sprayed to keep them moist, adding protection against smoke and dust threats.
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“We, the DMC and RDK LKC Dompet Dhuafa, will conduct regular monitoring of this Safe School. Therefore, we will remain on standby for Karhutla management in West Kalimantan,” said Erwandi Saputra, a DMC Dompet Dhuafa team member during the installation of the Safe School.
Inside the room, there are also fans to circulate and cool the air. Finally, there is an aquarium installation to maintain air humidity by absorbing carbon dioxide and producing oxygen in the room. The aquarium contains water, fish, algae or moss, and is fitted with LED/ultraviolet lights to aid in algae photosynthesis. Besides the aquarium, the Safe School room is also equipped with plants to absorb carbon dioxide and generate oxygen.
“I hope I can attend school as usual, not online, and no longer needs to wear a mask,” concluded Nazwa. (Dompet Dhuafa/DMC/AFP)