East Kutai Department of Tourism Boosts Water Rescue Through Intensive Training
The East Kutai Department of Tourism Boosts Water Rescue Through Intensive Training program was successfully conducted from 18–21 November 2025, beginning with an official opening ceremony at Hotel Royal Victoria. The four-day program featured a series of intensive training sessions, followed by practical assessments held on Miang Island.
Participants from the Indonesian Tourist Guides Association (HPI) and various Village Tourism Awareness Groups (Pokdarwis) joined the program, showing strong commitment to improving safety standards in water-based tourism activities. The training aimed to strengthen the skills and readiness of local guides in ensuring safe and responsible marine tourism experiences in East Kutai.
Comprehensive Training Led by Experienced Instructors
The program was facilitated by experienced Balawista instructors: I Made Suparka, Kamarun, and Ida as supporting instructor. Over four days, participants received comprehensive material covering safety principles, rescue techniques, risk assessment, proper use of safety equipment, and standard emergency response procedures.
Participants learned about water tourism safety as a combination of hazard identification, safety briefing delivery, tourist supervision, emergency response, and ongoing equipment maintenance. Throughout the program, instructors emphasized the principle of “Safety First”, ensuring that all activities must be halted whenever conditions become unsafe.
Strengthening First Aid and CPR Skills
A key portion of the training focused on the emergency response sequence DRSABCD, including detailed practice of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) for adults, children, and infants. Using CPR manikins, participants trained proper compression depth, hand placement, breathing technique, and coordination with AED use. The session also covered handling hypothermia, choking incidents, and safe methods to lift and evacuate victims from the water.
Rescue Simulations on Miang Island
During the field practice on Miang Island, participants carried out water rescue simulations using various techniques, including the Pistol Grip, reach–throw–go methods, and approaches for managing panicked victims while ensuring rescuer safety. They also practiced operating rescue tubes, rope, rescue board and communication radios in real water conditions.
BNSP-Certified Competency Assessment
The program concluded with a competency assessment conducted by evaluators from the National Agency for Professional Certification (BNSP). All participants successfully passed and obtained official certification as Water Tourism Safety Guides, marking another step forward in enhancing the capacity of East Kutai’s tourism human resources.
Participants expressed hope that similar training programs will continue to be held regularly, noting that lifesaving skills especially CPR and water rescue techniques must be continuously practiced to remain effective. The East Kutai Tourism Office reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening safety standards across tourism destinations, particularly within the growing marine tourism sector.