Under the Patronage of H.H Saif Bin Zayed

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates - Monday, March 2nd 2015 [ME NewsWire]

Under the auspices of Lt. General H.H Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, Major General Nasser Lakhrebani Al Nuaimi, Secretary General of the Office of HH Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, inaugurated the 5th Annual Fire Safety Technology Forum on Monday at Etihad Towers in Abu Dhabi. The forum, which is organized by the Directorate General of Civil Defense at the Ministry of Interior, is held under the slogan “Disaster Reduction within Sustainable Development” on the occasion of the celebrations for the World Civil Defense Day, which is celebrated annually on the first of March.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by Major General Rashid Thani Al Matroushi, Civil Defense Acting General Commander-in-Chief; Major General Dr. Ahmed Nasser Al Raisi, Director General of Central Operations at Abu Dhabi Police; along with directors general, heads of Departments, a large number of Civil Defense officers in the country, and representatives of companies and authorities specialized in civil defense services.

The ceremony commenced with the national anthem, followed by the opening address delivered by Major General Rashid Thani Al Matroushi, Civil Defense Acting General Commander-in-Chief. In his inaugural speech, he said: “The UAE is endowed with a secure environment and a solid infrastructure. It is also extremely generous when it comes to supporting victims of natural disasters and calamities, and is proud to be in the lead of support interventions for disaster-affected communities around the world”.

He added: “As a member of the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Team, the Directorate General of Civil Defense operates based on a clear and integrated national and federal strategy that is consistent with the Federal Government’s strategy”.

He explained that most of the experts are pinning their hopes on “building community disaster resilience in the disaster-prone countries around the world, particularly those with weak infrastructure; in a way that enhances the relationship between sustainable development and disaster risk reduction.

At the conclusion of his speech, Major General Al Matroushi expressed his thanks to the sponsors, participants, and parties that contributed to the success of the Forum.

Major General Al Matroushi and the attendees watched a documentary film, which showcased the efforts exerted by civil defense members in preserving lives, property and the environment, using the latest techniques in the area of civil defense. It also included a testimonial from representatives of various sectors of the UAE society, pertaining to the developmental role of the Civil defense sector.

Following the opening ceremony speeches, the Forum started, with six presentations featured on the agenda. The first presentation, David Etheridge, Vice President Elect; Chief Fire Officers Association & Chief Fire Officer; Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service, discussed a paper titled ‘Risk Profiling and Emergency Preparedness’.

In the second presentation, Willie Baker, Independent Consultant Rail, Metro and Road Passenger Transport discussed ‘The Role of the Incident Commander and Multi Agency Interface at Major Emergencies’. The paper delivered by Robert Kopp, Deputy Commissioner of the Munich Police Headquarters during the third presentation focused on ‘Emergency planning for safety in areas of mass public assembly’.

In the fourth presentation, James Walsh, Advisor Maritime at the Dubai Maritime City Authority (DMCA) reviewed ‘cruise ship incidents and maritime safety’. During the fifth presentation, John Coates, CFO, Global Responders Group, analyzed recent petrochemical accidents and applying lessons learnt in the United States and a number of European countries.

In the sixth and last presentation, Eric LaVergne, Senior Technical Manager at Tyco-Williams Fire & hazard Control delivered a paper on ‘fire and safety technologies in relation to hydrocarbon storage and export facilities’.

In conclusion, a panel discussion was held with forum speakers to answer the questions and queries of attendees related to the forum’s topics.

Major General Rashid Thani Al Matroushi toured the exhibition that was held along the sidelines of   the forum, where he reviewed the latest technologies and equipment exhibited by the participating companies.

Towards the end of the forum, Major General Al Matroushi honored the speakers, participants and sponsors; praising their efforts in sharing g their expertise, which have contributed to enriching the forum with the latest advanced global experiences.

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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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