UNAIR NEWS – The Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR) Patriot Expedition Team built two emergency response monitoring posts from Sunday to Saturday (September 6-12, 2026), one in front of the Udapi Hilir Village Hall and the other in the yard of the SP4 Prafi Community Health Center (Puskesmas), Manokwari. The posts aim to help residents deal with emergency conditions, as they will be equipped with emergency status boards, emergency contact numbers, communication tools such as walkie-talkies, and kentongan (traditional slit drums) as a simple early alarm system.
Team leader Dr Neffrety Nilamsari MKes explained that the posts were designed not only as monitoring stations, but also as the community’s initial coordination point during floods, earthquakes, or landslides. Beyond the physical aspect, the team also worked on non-physical development by focusing on strengthening community capacity and awareness.
“We educate residents through outreach sessions on the potential and early signs of natural disasters, evacuation routes and procedures, the importance of reporting environmental conditions, and the community’s role in maintaining and monitoring disaster-prone areas. This took the form of an earthquake simulation at State Junior High School 7 Prafi (SMPN 7 Prafi), attended by more than 200 participants,” she said.
Key strategy
Dr Nilamsari said the team designed a strategy from the start to ensure the posts would not stop functioning after the program ended. The key principles she and the team employed include handing over management, strengthening local capacity, and integrating the posts into the village institutional system, so that the posts’ sustainability does not depend on the presence of Team 6 of the UNAIR Patriot Expedition.
Sustainability is pursued through transferring management to the village, building the capacity of cadres, and drafting operational standard operating procedures (SOPs). These steps are supported by integration with village planning, stronger partnership networks, and post-program monitoring mechanisms.
“We monitor sustainability through several indicators: active managers, a duty roster, well-maintained facilities, regular educational activities or simulations, an activity logbook, and the cadres’ ability to activate the post during an emergency,” she added.
Operating independently and sustainably
Through this strategy, Team 6 of the UNAIR Patriot Expedition does not stop at the program alone. It also represents a transition from a university-led program to a community-owned and village-supported disaster preparedness system. The ultimate goal is that by the time the team leaves, the community will already have the institutions, human resources, SOPs, facilities, and financing mechanisms needed for the posts to keep operating independently and sustainably.
“In the long term, we can continue to serve as a mentoring and knowledge partner, while ownership and day-to-day operations rest entirely with the community and the village government. We don’t want to merely leave behind a building, but a system that can run without us,” she emphasized.
Dr Nilamsari hoped residents would no longer feel they must wait for outside assistance when an earthquake, flood, landslide, or other emergency strikes. With the posts in place, residents have a place to gather, coordinate, obtain information, and carry out an initial response quickly and in an organized way. She also hoped more residents would gain the knowledge and courage to protect one another, especially vulnerable groups such as children, the elderly, and people who need special assistance.
The post at SP4 Udapi Hilir is expected to become a center for learning and a culture of community preparedness through environmental monitoring, education, simulations, and routine facility maintenance. The continued function of the post and the active involvement of cadres are key to building an independent and increasingly resilient community. “That is the greatest success and legacy we want to leave behind through this program,” she said.
Author: Putri Andini
Editor: Yulia Rohmawati
