Special team to tackle high-rise fires

Dubai: Civil Defence has formed a special team for early intervention in case of fires at high-rise buildings.

Brigadier Rashid Thani Al Matroushi, Director of Dubai Civil Defence, said the team is carrying out continuous field drills at high-rise buildings surrounded by fire and thick smoke and rescue operations.

He said the team has been formed to implement law number 22 for 2006, which was issued on the directives of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to set up a "disaster management team".

"The directives also stipulated that the team should acquire skills to deal with dangerous situations. The team should be better equipped and ready to move anytime and anywhere to carry out duties," he said.

Dubai Civil Defence will give live demonstrations of emergency rescue and fire fighting skills on the first day of the Intersec exhibition on January 21.

The demonstrations will largely focus on the use of helicopters as a primary tool in fire fighting, evacuation and rescue.

Chris Hudson, Director of Exhibitions of Intersec's organising company Messe Frankfurt, said Dubai Civil Defence will demonstrate a number of emergency operations during Intersec, being staged at Dubai's International Exhibition and Convention Centre.

The demonstrations will be staged in the car park area in front of the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre, allowing some of the expected 16,000 visitors an opportunity to see the high standards of professionalism achieved in the UAE.

The first demonstration will create a simulation of a fire in a multi-storey building and rescuing people by helicopter from a raised platform.

The department's second demonstration in conjunction with Dubai Police shows how rescue operations can be conducted during serious traffic accidents.

In addition, Dubai Civil Defence is also holding a conference at Burj Al Arab on January 23 featuring lectures by many experts.