ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates - Wednesday, June 10th 2015 [ME NewsWire]

The Directorate General of Civil Defense urged citizens, residents and visitors of the UAE to adhere to safety and prevention requirements; by implementing a set of instructions that enhance safety and protection for the prevention of fires caused by negligence as summer sets in. The directorate general also emphasized the importance of installing fire prevention equipment in homes.

Major General Jassem Muhammad Al Marzouqui, Civil Defense General Commander-in-chief, pointed out that Civil Defense departments are well prepared as the summer sets in, by adding even more advanced and modern vehicles to its fleet, equipped with the best fire-fighting equipment. “The directorate also enhanced its outreach programs and activities, as well as its clampdown campaigns to ensure that safety components are well observed at industrial plants, in an effort to curb summer fires and reduce these occurrences,” he continued.

Adding Further, Major General Al Marzouqui indicated that the Ministry of Interior, represented by the Civil Defense Sector at the countrywide level, endeavors relentlessly to provide protection, prevention and safety to community members. This is achieved by adopting the necessary precautionary measures, in order to avoid risks associated with fires and preserve lives. “To attain these goals, the ministry organizes educational, awareness-raising and guidance lecturers throughout the year,” he explained.

On the same note, Major General Al Marzouqui emphasized that community members can efficiently contribute to curb the occurrence of fires that increase during summer by complying with the prevention requirements and procedures in their houses, stores and even in their vehicles. “This can be achieved by using high quality and efficient electric switches and wiring; and avoiding faulty electrical materials that are used for connecting the power to electrical appliances, such as refrigerators, water heaters, air conditioners, and exhaust fans,” he noted.

In line with the “Your Safety” campaign, Major General Al Marzouqui urged families to ensure that electric and gas cooking stoves are up to safety standards; to seek the help of professional technicians to regularly check and fix any malfunction, prevent children from accessing kitchens in an effort to protect them from flames or hot liquids. He also advised them against using indoor barbecues or grills due to the risks of suffocation from toxic gases and fumes.

In conclusion, he called on parents to prevent their children from playing unattended or unsupervised in amusement parks, at the beaches, and or in high places. He called upon tent users to keep fire sources, stoves and electrical generators far away from tents and refrain from smoking inside. Furthermore, he indicated that light bulbs and wiring should be maintained at a sufficient distance from the tent’s fabrics.

Moreover, Major General Al Marzouqui warned against vehicle fire incidents and the associated risks and resulting fatalities and injuries caused by drivers’ negligence including failure to perform  regular preventive maintenance of vehicles for oil and fuel leaks and electrical malfunctions. He also pointed that failure to abide by prevention and safety guidelines in vehicles and regular maintenance to ensure vehicles’ serviceability may cause vehicles to catch fire and result in injuries or loss of life and property. He called upon drivers to take necessary precautions.

He also noted that most of the fires caused by car accidents result from negligence of owners and their failure to provide a fire extinguisher that conform to the standards currently approved by UAE Civil Defense authorities inside the vehicle. He said: “During the summer, high temperatures can cause the engine to become overheated and catch fire. Other cases of fire have involved situations where fuel drops onto hot surfaces, such as the exhaust, causing a fire to erupt,” he explained. He advised motorists to regularly service their vehicles, to equip them with fire extinguishers that meet the approved specifications, to check the level and quality of vehicle oils, to refill water levels, and to prevent any leakage of fuel and oil.

Adding further, Major General Al Marzouqui indicated that fire incidents involving trucks cause tragic accidents. “The most common causes leading to these accidents include, overloading of trucks and inadequate cargo securing; neglecting tire inspection and maintenance; neglecting regular maintenance of trucks; and long working hours and sleep restrictions for truck drivers, which cause fatigue and negatively affect their concentration and alertness,” he said. Moreover, he continued: “The main cause of farm fires is agricultural waste, which, if kept for long periods of time, may lead to gas emissions produced by bacterial decomposition, ultimately leading to spontaneous ignition of waste stockpiles, under favorable conditions. Neglect is also one of the causes of farm fires, when workers dispose of waste in open fires within farms or houses and fail to take immediate action  when the fire erupts, which would ultimately cause the fire to spread, therefore making firefighters’ job even more difficult.”

Furthermore, Major General Al Marzouqui urged community members to carry our regular maintenance of important equipment and devices in their homes, especially inside the kitchen such as gas cylinders, electric switches and wiring, air conditioners, and other devices in order to avoid fire incidents.

Adding further, he said: “It is important to take a number of precautionary measures to avoid fires in the house, including a fire extinguisher, a fire blanket, first aid kit and others.” He also noted that Civil Defense entities across all stations in the country, as well as their general directorates and local departments are always ready to receive emergency calls and reports around-the-clock, to provide emergency services and various prevention and safety requirements to preserve lives, property and the environment, and to instill tranquility and safety among the public. In conclusion, he called upon 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 999 or 997.

It is worth mentioning that the "Your Safety" campaign,  implemented by the Security Media Department at the General Secretariat of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, focuses on promoting public awareness through ongoing awareness messages in various media and social networking sites. Additionally, the various sectors of the Ministry of Interior are implementing a set of activities and programs as a part of the different efforts to provide comfort and safety to the public.

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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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