Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates - Monday, July 28th 2014 [ME NewsWire]

The Directorate General of Civil Defense appealed to both citizens and residents to adhere to public safety and fire prevention requirements; providing a set of instructions that enhance safety and prevention during Eid Al Fitr holidays.

In a statement on the occasion, Major General Rashid Thani Al Matrooshi, Acting Commander-in-chief of Civil Defense noted that given the nature of the Civil Defense work, firefighting and rescue teams need to always be alert and prepared to quickly respond to incidents of fire and other accidents at any time and any place. He also pointed out that the Civil Defense provides on the spot humanitarian services to people in need. Furthermore, Major General Al Matrooshi stressed the directorate’s keenness to educate the Civil Defense staff members on the values and principles of outstanding service, as per the Government's vision aimed at making the UAE a safe country, with a professional Civil Defense entity, capable of preserving life and property; and keen to achieve the highest standards of planning, efficiency, organization, professionalism, service, sacrifice, and dealing.

He added: “The Eid days witness a significant number of revelers who crowd public places to celebrate. This is the perfect opportunity to confirm readiness and responsiveness of the Civil Defense teams, whereas traffic reaches record peaks in certain times of the day, especially near recreational areas. Moreover, the numbers of family visits, trips, and use of kitchens increase”.

Major General Al Matrooshi urged families to ensure safety of electric and gas cooking appliances  in homes, restaurants and hotels. He stressed the need to regularly check and change the gas rubber hoses and electrical wires, clean cooking ovens from oil build-up, and to prevent children from accessing kitchens unless supervised, so as to protect them against flames or hot pans.

He also highlighted the importance of cleaning kitchen ventilators and noted that not cleaning them cause oil to build up, which is considered a key factor in home and restaurants fires. “Kitchen lighting should be sufficient. Special attention should be paid to children’s safety, during the Eid festivities, by keeping them away from danger inside and outside the house, such as the danger of playing with lighters, matches, insecticides, and other toxic detergents,” explained Major General Al Matrooshi.

He stressed the need to handle incense burners properly, by avoiding their contact with clothing or leaving them unattended, because clothes tend to quickly catch fire. He also advised parents to prevent children from handling incense burners or lighting candles near flammable materials. “People should refrain from using indoor grills, as their poisonous fumes are equally dangerous as fires to human beings. They should also avoid pouring flammable liquids on stoves because the container could catch fire, thus burning the person handling it. Furthermore, all individuals need to avoid overloading electrical wirings by operating a large number of devices and lights; this may cause the wirings to overheat and catch fire,” he noted.  In conclusion, he wished families travelling by land a safe trip, urging them to have a handheld fire extinguisher in the vehicle while on the move.

Furthermore, the Acting Commander-in-chief of Civil Defense advised people going on land trips to set up tents in safe places, near roads and communication networks, in order to receive assistance in cases of emergency. He stressed the importance of keeping diesel generators away from tents, and to avoid filling the generators with fuel while they are running.  He warned against setting up fire pits near tents, noting the need to set them contrary to wind flow to prevent flames from reaching the tents and to have a dry powder fire extinguisher available, as well as an appropriate number of boxes to carry sand. Furthermore, he indicated that light bulbs and wiring should be maintained at a sufficient distance from the tent’s fabrics.

He also emphasized the need of having a first-aid kit including wound dressings, and medicine for insect and reptile bites; taking an adequate amount of water commensurate with the number of individuals taking part in the excursion and the number of days expected; informing parents or friends of the excursion’s exact location and the approximate return date; checking the vehicle’s mechanical and electrical condition; and checking the oil, fuel and cooling water levels.

In conclusion, he called on community members not to hesitate to request assistance from the Civil Defense at any time, for the purpose of firefighting and rescue operations on the emergency number 997.999.

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The Arabic-language text of this announcement is the official, authoritative version. Translations are provided as an accommodation only, and should be cross-referenced with the Arabic-language text, which is the only version of the text intended to have legal effect.

Contacts

The UAE Minister of Interior's General Secretariat, Tactical Affairs and Security Media Department

Abu Dhabi Police GHQ - Security Media

Chris Cron +971-(0)-50-987-1317

E-mail: cron.media@hotmail.com

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