Seratus orang mengikuti latihan penyelamatan di ketinggian. Tempatnya di Training Center BPBD Jawa Timur, Sidoarjo, Minggu (18/10/2026). Latihan ini digelar Federasi Mountaineering Indonesia (FMI) Jawa Timur bersama Pendaki Reaksi Cepat (PRC). Pesertanya kalangan potensi SAR dan personel penyelamat gunung.

Peserta tidak langsung turun ke tebing. Sepekan sebelumnya, 11 Oktober 2026, mereka dapat materi kelas lebih dulu. Isinya pengetahuan dasar mountain rescue, aturan keselamatan, dan prinsip pertolongan di medan gunung.

Baru di lapangan, seratus peserta pilihan itu masuk ke hal teknis. Ada aspek hukum, cara memeriksa kelayakan alat, simpul, pembuatan angkur, teknik akses tali, sampai simulasi mengangkat dan menurunkan korban dari tebing dan jurang.

Latihan dibagi 10 kelompok. Ada 10 titik stasiun yang dikerjakan bersamaan. Di akhir, setiap peserta dinilai lewat unjuk kerja, lalu hasilnya dibahas dalam debriefing.

Komandan PRC, Agus Suhandi, menekankan standar yang ketat sebagai kunci keselamatan. Menurut dia, latihan ini untuk membentuk personel yang tangguh dan siap di medan ekstrem. "Mulai dari inspeksi alat, teknik simpul, pembuatan angkur, hingga simulasi evakuasi korban di medan vertikal," ujarnya seperti dikutip Tribrata TV.

Ketua Harian FMI Jatim, Purwanto, menyebut standarisasi sebagai fondasi. Menurut dia, sistem pencarian dan pertolongan gunung harus akuntabel dan terstruktur. "FMI Jawa Timur berkomitmen penuh untuk terus mendorong standarisasi kompetensi Mountain Rescue di seluruh jajaran pegiat mountaineering dan relawan kemanusiaan," kata Purwanto.

Yang dilatih di diklat ini bukan cuma teknik turun tali. Peserta juga belajar aspek hukum, artinya pertolongan di medan ekstrem punya konsekuensi aturan, bukan hanya soal berani atau tidak. Alat juga diperiksa kelayakannya sebelum dipakai, karena satu karabiner yang lecet bisa menentukan hidup penolong dan korban.

FMI Jatim dan PRC berharap kemampuan personel di medan vertikal makin terukur. Latihan seperti ini yang membuat pertolongan di gunung tidak bergantung pada keberanian semata.

One hundred people took part in a high-angle rescue drill. It was held at the East Java BPBD Training Centre in Sidoarjo on Sunday, 18 October 2026, run by the Indonesian Mountaineering Federation (FMI) East Java together with Pendaki Reaksi Cepat (PRC). Participants came from potential SAR ranks and mountain rescue personnel.

Participants did not go straight onto the ropes. A week earlier, on 11 October 2026, they attended classroom sessions covering basic mountain rescue knowledge, safety rules, and the principles of rescue in mountain terrain.

Only then did the 100 selected participants move to technical work in the field: legal aspects, checking whether equipment is fit for use, knots, building anchors, rope access techniques, and simulations of raising and lowering a casualty from cliffs and ravines.

The drill was split into 10 working groups, working through 10 parallel stations. At the end, each participant was assessed through a practical performance test, followed by a debriefing.

PRC commander Agus Suhandi stressed that strict standards are the key to safety. He said the drill was meant to build personnel who are resilient and ready for extreme terrain. "From equipment inspection, knotting technique and anchor building, to casualty evacuation simulations on vertical ground," he said, as quoted by Tribrata TV.

FMI East Java daily chair Purwanto called standardisation the foundation. In his view, a mountain search and rescue system must be accountable and structured. "FMI East Java is fully committed to pushing Mountain Rescue competency standards across mountaineering circles and humanitarian volunteers," Purwanto said.

What was trained here went beyond rope technique. Participants also studied legal aspects, meaning rescue in extreme terrain carries legal consequences, not just a question of nerve. Equipment was checked for fitness before use, because one scuffed carabiner can decide the life of both rescuer and casualty.

FMI East Java and PRC hope personnel capability on vertical ground becomes more measurable. Drills like this are what keep mountain rescue from depending on bravery alone.