Category Archives: Crisis Situations

At around 7:50 am on 17 July 2009, early reports of bombings at the JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton Hotels in Jakarta started coming through my office and alarm center. An emergency response team and crisis management room was setup to begin the process of identifying our clients who were missing and potentially affected by the blasts that occurred with minutes of each other. Rapid fire calls and sms’ were made to direct contact clients, friends and family. It was a day I will never forget.

My mission since the morning of the bombings, was to locate and identify my client, an Australian who out of respect to him and his family will remain nameless. Tragically, despite all of our efforts, it took untill midnight last night to achieve this. During this whole period, I would coordinate with our crisis management team and the clients representative every 20 – 30 mins. The emotional roller coaster of not knowing whether a person is alive or not and then the vicious end result, has left all involved mentally exhausted and deeply saddened.

Three of the seven victims who were killed were Australians, two from The Netherlands, and one each from New Zealand and Indonesia. More than 50 people were injured in the blasts.

Despite the tragedy of the event, the bombings are a massive contrast to our daily experience of life here. The Indonesian people, despite the prevalent poverty, crowding and congestion, are extraordinarily harmonious and peaceful. I do not feel threatened living here.

Through the job I have, I feel a greater sense of contribution and value than I ever have professionally. This experience has increased my resolve about continuing to do what I think is good work. Moreover, it has also made me not hesitate to express appreciation and love. I know life can be taken so quickly and unexpectedly wherever we are.