National Search and Rescue Agency

The formation of a national search and rescue organization in Indonesia was driven by international aviation and maritime safety requirements. In the early post-independence period, countries without a search and rescue (SAR) organization were classified as a "black area", a status that could negatively affect international relations and transportation safety. Indonesia became a member of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in 1950 and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in 1959, creating obligations to handle aviation and maritime accidents within its territory. To address this, the government issued Government Regulation No. 5 of 1955 to establish a SAR committee tasked with planning a national SAR system. Further steps were taken in 1968 with the establishment of the Jakarta Local SAR Team under the Ministry of Transportation, which became the precursor to a national SAR organization. A formal agency was created in 1972 through Presidential Decree No. 11 of 1972 with the establishment of the Indonesian Search and Rescue Agency (BASARI). For organizational efficiency, the National SAR Center was placed under the Ministry of Transportation in 1979 and renamed the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas). In 2007, Basarnas was designated a non-departmental government institution directly responsible to the President, a status later updated to a non-ministerial government institution under Government Regulation No. 39 of 2009.^[2][3][4]

According to presidential decree No. 99/2007 regarding National Search and Rescue Agency Republic of Indonesia, Basarnas primary to task are to assist president in implementation of search and rescue activity in Indonesia.^[5]

• Head of Basarnas (Kepala Badan SAR Nasional), Head of Basarnas is directly appointed and responsible to president.
• Secretariate General (Sekretariat Utama), its primary task are to assist in general affairs and report directly to Head of Basarnas, and it consist of 3 bureaus:
  • Bureau of General Affairs (Biro Umum)
  • Bureau of Planning and Foreign Cooperation (Biro Perencanaan dan Kerjasama Teknik Luar Negeri)
  • Bureau of Law and Human Resources (Biro Hukum dan Kepegawaian)
• Deputy of Search and Rescue Resources (Deputi Bidang Potensi SAR)
  • Directorate of Facilities and Infrastructure (Direktorat Sarana dan Prasarana)
  • Directorate of Resource Development and Search and Rescue Community (Direktorat Bina Ketenagaan dan Pemasyarakatan SAR)
• Deputy of Search and Rescue Operation (Deputi Bidang Operasi SAR)
  • Directorate of Operation and Training (Direktorat Operasi dan Latihan)
  • Directorate of Communication (Direktorat Komunikasi)
  • Data and Information Center (Pusat Data dan Informasi), a supporting unit within basarnas
• Inspectorate (Inspektorat)
• Technical Unit (Unit Pelaksana Teknis), its primary task to implement search and rescue activity in regional level, which consist of 13 Technical Unit Office Class A and 21 Technical Unit Office Class B.

• Indonesian Board for Disaster Countermeasure
• List of aviation accidents and incidents in Indonesia
• List of natural disasters in Indonesia