Yuli Tri Suwarni, The Jakarta Post, Bandung
At the Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Agency (PVMBG) in Bandung, activities increase when a volcano eruption is imminent, with the agency's 54 field officers prepared to be deployed at a moment's notice.
They must be ready to leave their families back home, live like refugees, and maintain their physical condition in order to be fit while carrying out their duties. After all, their office is the treacherous terrain of a mountain.
Those working at agency headquarters need to be ready to work overtime to receive and process reports from the field.
As many as 12 officers from PVMBG were recently sent to Mount Kelud when it entered a critical phase on Oct. 16. They brought along an assortment of equipment, including powerful computers, thermal cameras to measure the crater's temperature from afar, and gas detectors to determine the presence of poisonous gas.
These tools enabled the officers to compute and analyze the collected data on-site, improving their ability to provide the public with early warnings.
"We must quickly edit data and respond to signs to make decisions. It would take longer if data had to first be processed at our headquarters in Bandung," PVMBG head Surono told The Jakarta Post in Bandung last week.
Despite its arsenal of modern technology, the agency still uses the "old" Single Side Band (SSB) high-frequency radio to communicate with 136 volcano observation officers posted at active volcanoes across the country. The radio system has served the agency for dozens of years.
The SSB band is open from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. and from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Officers communicate through fax or phone the rest of the day. Fax is used to send quake graphics and reports of volcanic activity.
Observing volcanoes makes for fulfilling work, says Aidil, who joined the agency in 1975.
"They (volcanoes) are like humans, with different traits and activities, so we must really understand their characters by studying their history of eruptions and physical nature," said Aidil.
In addition to observing volcanoes during eruptions, PVMBG volcanologists also conduct field studies during times of calm.
"If we don't know their normal activities, how can we be aware of increased activities? We must collect data on their daily activity," said PVMBG staffer Estu Kriswati, a graduate of the Geological School at the Bandung Institute of Technology.
Not all fieldwork is pleasant, Aidil said, recalling his visit to Mount Becago in northern Aceh in February.
"We had to walk for five days and nights to the nearest village of Lampahan. I'd never walked that far in my entire life," he said.
During a time when many volcanoes are showing signs of increased activity, officers often work longer hours.
"We work in shifts so that observations can be conducted throughout the day," said Estu.
The PVMBG agency was founded by the Dutch East Indies administration in 1919 following the Mt. Kelud eruption that killed more than 5,000 people. The huge losses prompted the Dutch administration to form observation teams capable of warning local residents of an imminent eruption.
