Jakarta. President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo on Thursday urged the National Search and Rescue Agency or Basarnas to add more advanced technologies that will quicken the search and rescue of disaster victims.

According to Jokowi, Basarnas is the ray of hope for victims and families in disaster management. 

“Basarnas already has plenty of equipment and technology to mitigate disasters, however new and more advanced equipment and technology is crucial to quicken the search and rescue of disaster victims,” Jokowi said during a meeting with Basarnas officials in Jakarta.

Jokowi pointed to countries like Japan and the US which already possess numerous advanced technology such as rescue drones to evacuate victims, snake robots that can locate victims, and diver robots that can find victims 1,000 meters below the surface.

“This search and rescue method has been used in some countries like the US and Japan,” Jokowi said.

Aside from urging Basarnas to add more advanced search and rescue technology, Jokowi also urged Basarnas to add more safety gear to protect SAR personnel, such as an "Iron Man" jet suit that will protect the team personnel in search and rescue efforts 3,600 meters above the surface.

Jokowi then urged Basarnas to propose a budget plan for technology adoption as soon as possible.

“I have no idea if the budget is there or not, but if there isn’t, surely it must be proposed soon,” said Jokowi.

Aside from technology procurement, Jokowi also pushes Basarnas to also intensify people’s education regarding first aid when disasters strike.