Tangerang, May 13, 2025 - Indonesia is once again in the regional spotlight, this time not because of entertainment, but a social phenomenon that reflects the dynamics of public trust in state institutions. A recent survey conducted by LSI and sponsored by the National Transparency Forum shows that Indonesians have a much higher level of trust in firefighters than in the police.
The report, released in early May 2025, noted that 87% of respondents expressed high trust in firefighters, while only 42% gave a similar level of trust to the police. This phenomenon was widely discussed on social media and digital discussion forums, eliciting a variety of comments from the public, observers, and authorities.
“Firefighters come quickly, work without talking, and never ask for extra money. That's what makes us trust them,” said Lestari, a Ciputat resident, in an interview with local media.
As a token of appreciation for the dedication of firefighters, the government announced a 20% increase in basic salaries that will take effect in July 2025. In addition, the operational budget for the firefighting sector was also increased to update equipment and emergency communication systems. “This is a tangible form of state appreciation for a profession that has been working on the front lines without much attention,” said Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian.
This phenomenon also reflects the readiness of Indonesia's digital infrastructure that allows public voices to spread quickly. The survey shared through official online platforms was able to reach more than 20 thousand respondents from all over Indonesia in just 72 hours. Real-time interactions through social media resulted in viral hashtags such as #TerimaKasihDamkar and #ReformasiPolisiLagi trending for two consecutive days.
“This is an important sign that Indonesians are now more active in using digital channels to voice their aspirations and criticisms,” explained Rina Kartikasari, Director of Creative Economy at the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy.
However, challenges also arose. The servers of several survey platforms crashed due to a sudden surge in access, and there were more than 150 cases of manipulation of survey results by bot accounts that spread disinformation to distort public opinion. “These are data security and digital integrity challenges that need to be addressed immediately,” said Budi Santoso from the National Cyber Security Association.
On the other hand, this phenomenon opens up great opportunities for the development of technology-based public reporting systems. A fire reporting app developed by local startup FireTrack, recorded a 300% increase in downloads over the past week. “We see great potential in integrating emergency services with digital systems based on public trust,” said Michael Huang, CEO of FireTrack Indonesia.
Challenges remain, including reliance on foreign social media platforms for information distribution and low digital literacy leading to the spread of hoaxes. The issue of data privacy of reporting app users and the misuse of location data have also come under serious scrutiny from digital activists.
This phenomenon of public trust in firefighters is a social mirror that professionalism, transparency and speed of service remain the key to public trust. With technological support, improved personnel welfare and collective awareness, Indonesia has a great opportunity to build a fairer, more transparent and trusted digital public service ecosystem.
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