Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates - Thursday, September 25th 2014 [ME NewsWire]

The Civil Defense General Directorate  carried out a successful mock drill to evacuate its headquarters in Abu Dhabi  and extinguish a ‘fire’ that broke out in the office of the Acting General Commander-in-chief Office Director located on  the second floor of the main building, which was covered with dense smoke.

Teams from the Rescue and Rapid Intervention Section at the Al Falah Civil Defense station, the Abu Dhabi Ambulance Section, and the Traffic and Patrols Directorate at the Abu Dhabi Police took part in the drill.

 Major General Rashid Thani Al Matrooshi, Civil Defense Acting General Commander-in-chief, noted that this drill is in pursuance of the Ministry of Interior's efforts, represented by the Civil Defense Sector, to ensure the safety of lives and property; enhance training efficiency and readiness through scenarios and drills; and assess their readiness to deal with accidents and reduce response time for emergency calls with a view to achieve the coveted goals.

He added: “The directorate prepared for the drill through several stages and steps in accordance with the requirements of the health and occupational safety systems. After meeting the fire prevention requirements and ensuring the safety of the building, a special team was formed to undertake internal response to any emergency case, and an evacuation plan was established, taking into account the specific layout of the building”. He also pointed out that the drill was carried out in pursuance of the Environment, Health and Safety Policy at the Civil Defense General Directorate. It also complements the activities and services it provides, as well as the procedures and programs aimed at maintaining the environment, preserving natural resources and protecting staff members.

Moreover, he indicated that such drills contribute to boost emergency teams’ preparedness and assess the building’s readiness to deal with any potential emergency. He also called upon all government and private entities to conduct mock evacuation drills periodically.

According to the training scenario, three people suffered from suffocation and breathing problems as a result of the heavy smoke, while one of the staff members fainted at the muster point due to a heat stroke. The paramedics administered first aid to the injured and provided them with medical care. The fire crews managed to extinguish the fire in record time.

As per the scenario, the Abu Dhabi Police’s Operations Room received a tip-off on the outbreak of the ‘fire’ at 8:30 am.  As soon as the fire alarm sounded, emergency teams evacuated the building pending the arrival of the competent police entities, the Civil Defense and backup entities that handled the incident in record time. First Lieutenant Humaid Al Ali, from the Directorate General of Fire Prevention and Safety Affairs at the Civil Defense General Directorate supervised the evacuation drill.

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Abu Dhabi Police, please click HERE

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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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