Doha The General Department of Civil Defence conducted a fire drill at Hyatt Plaza shopping mall on Monday as part of the department’s plan to raise awareness on fire and security procedures, according to Qatar Tribune, a Qatar daily.
The drill was conducted in cooperation with the mall’s security and safety officials. It started with the operation room receiving information that a fire had broken out in the mall.
On receiving the alert, firefighters from Al Aziziya, the closest Civil Defence department, rushed to the mall. The team was equipped with state-of-the-art equipment, an emergency action van, a rescue car with a 55-metre ladder (used for rescue operations in high buildings) and another van replete with breathing devices and rescue equipment.
Visitors evacuated
After identifying that the fire had emanated from one of the restaurants, the mall’s security team evacuated visitors from the danger zone. The security officials led the visitors to a safe muster point while the emergency announcement was made through the mall’s speakers. The Civil Defence team carried out an inspection to see if anyone was missing.
This operation was supervised by the chief of Al Aziziya and Matar Civil Defence Department and the evacuation operations supervisor at the General Department of Civil Defence, Captain Khamis Salim Al Suwaidi.
