What’s the true cost of a fire? UAE unveils global framework of fire incident footprint

Dubai: The UAE has unveiled a global framework that measures the true cost of fires, looking well beyond how fast firefighters arrive and how quickly a blaze is brought under control.

The Global Fire Incident Footprint Framework was presented in Dubai on Thursday at a specialised forum organised by the Federal Authority for Ambulance and Civil Defence.

Ahmed bin Ali Al Sayegh, Minister of Health and Prevention and Chairman of the authority, attended alongside leaders, experts and specialists from the UAE and abroad.

Developed with contributions from more than 70 international leaders and experts, the framework offers an integrated way to assess the direct and indirect impact of fires on people, the environment, the economy, critical systems and public confidence.

Al Sayegh said the UAE continues to build an integrated national ambulance and civil defence system founded on preparedness and proactive action, investment in people and technology, and the adoption of leading global expertise.

"Developing emergency response systems is no longer limited to responding swiftly to incidents and bringing them under control," he said.

"It requires a comprehensive understanding of their impacts and repercussions on people, society, the economy and the environment, as well as the development of proactive capabilities that help mitigate risks and strengthen the continuity of critical sectors."

Four footprints

The framework is built around four dimensions: the Economic Impact Footprint, the Human and Environmental Footprint, the Critical Systems Footprint, and the Trust and Global Reputation Footprint.

Together, they track the direct and indirect consequences of fires for individuals, communities, economic sectors and essential services.

It moves away from traditional operational indicators, such as response time and the time taken to contain an incident, towards an assessment of long-term consequences. These include economic losses, health and environmental harm, the effect on business continuity and critical services, public confidence, and the global reputation of cities and countries.

Loss of millions, reputation

Speaking to Gulf News, Lieutenant Colonel Dr Essa Ahmed Al Mutawa, Director of the General Department of Artificial Intelligence and Assistant Commander-in-Chief for Smart Services at Dubai Civil Defence, said the approach goes further than counting deaths, casualties and response times.

“It also looks at the footprint each fire leaves on the economy, people, nature, infrastructure and a country's image.”

He said a study carried out by the team produced results he described as unexpected. Just three fire incidents, two in California and one in Australia's Black Summer, cost governments around half a trillion dollars.

Fires cause 21% of pollution

He also pointed out that pollution from the blazes affected about 7 million people and led to early deaths.

In a measurement carried out on the instructions of the Minister of Health, he added, pollution from fires was found to be double that from cars, factories and boats combined, accounting for around 21 per cent of global pollution.

"One fire incident might change the picture of a city or a country in a positive or negative way," he said.

Citing recent regional developments, he pointed out that a single blaze in one country could paralyse flights and infrastructure.

The framework, he said, is "a new path for fire and safety entities to follow" and will be shared with civil defence bodies across the world. He hopes to share the results of further work within a year.

Leaders of tomorrow

The forum also saw the launch of the "997 Leadership Programme", designed to develop leadership capabilities across the ambulance and civil defence system.

Major General Dr Jassim Mohammed Al Marzouqi, Director General of the authority, told Gulf News 997 is the civil defence emergency number and the programme is focused on firefighting.

"We are preparing our young officers to be the leaders in the future for civil defence," he said, adding that it would strengthen their knowledge, skills and ability to deal with future challenges.

The aim is to create leaders who can lead civil defence 10 to 20 years from now.

Al Marzouqi said the authority also draws on a youth council of people under 30 to help shape its strategy. "Young people have a different kind of thinking, and we want them to think with us," he said.

The forum also witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation with Georgetown University, covering leadership development, crisis management, scientific research and capability building. It will draw on academic expertise to advance emergency response systems and enhance their readiness.

World Fire Congress in Dubai

The UAE will host the third edition of the ‘World Fire Congress’ in 2028, becoming the first country in the Middle East to host the international gathering of fire, rescue, and civil defence leaders, following the United States of America (Washington) and the United Kingdom (London).

Dr Lori Moore-Merrell, former U.S. Fire Administrator, pointed out that the UAE was recognised as a leading example in the use of AI for fire and civil defence, particularly through Dubai Civil Defence’s AI initiatives and dedicated AI Lab.

She said the Congress will provide an opportunity to showcase validated AI solutions, address data gaps, and share best practices internationally.

She also announced that Lieutenant Colonel Dr Essa Ahmed Al Mutawa was appointed as the global leader of the World Fire Congress Community of Practice on Emerging Technology and Artificial Intelligence, reflecting his operational experience in AI applications within the fire service.