UAE students get interactive, bilingual lessons on first aid, fire safety and emergency preparedness

The Abu Dhabi Civil Defence Authority (ADCDA) and education technology firm Alef Education have kicked off the second, significantly expanded phase of the Bader Educational Awareness Project, aiming to instill a deep-rooted culture of safety and emergency prevention across the UAE’s school system.

Following the successful completion of the first phase (2021–2024), which reached thousands of students, the new phase (2025–2029) is dramatically increasing its scope. The initiative will now include 548 public and private schools that utilize the Alef platform, 173 in Abu Dhabi and 375 across the other emirates.

The expansion is set to impact an estimated 480,000 students nationwide, with a target of 180,000 students in Abu Dhabi alone, and 300,000 across the rest of the country. Crucially, the project will also train a massive contingent of school personnel: 19,000 teachers (6,000 in Abu Dhabi and 13,000 across the UAE), administrators, and safety officers will be equipped to deliver the curriculum.

The ADCDA has stated that Bader is the first initiative of its kind globally to provide a fully integrated safety awareness curriculum that spans all educational levels, from kindergarten through Grade 12.

The program embeds critical safety and prevention concepts progressively through interactive, bilingual content. Key topics include first aid, fire safety, evacuation procedures and alarms, handling hazardous chemicals, and promoting individual social responsibility. The curriculum will continue to grow, with new lessons added annually until 2029, culminating in 13 lessons per educational cycle.

This structured approach is designed to create a pioneering national model for education-based safety culture, supporting national efforts to build a 'conscious and capable generation' prepared to protect themselves and their communities.

The decision to expand follows highly positive results from the initial phase. Out of 372 targeted schools nationwide, 357 participated, benefiting nearly 59,000 students. Over 36,000 students fully completed the program, demonstrating a high participation rate of 96 per cent in the targeted schools.

An impact assessment study confirmed the program's effectiveness, showing marked improvements in students’ emergency preparedness and confidence. Specific measurable outcomes included a 10.9 per cent improvement in students’ emergency preparedness, a 9.3 per cent increase in their self-confidence when dealing with emergencies, an 11.2 per cent boost in their sense of safety and readiness, and an 11.7 per cent rise in their willingness to share awareness with their peers.

The project’s innovation and effectiveness have also garnered significant recognition, winning the prestigious Khalifa Award for Education in 2023 and the Hamdan bin Rashid Award for Institutions Supporting Education in 2024. In the same year, the joint initiative also won the Dubai Quality Group – Ideas UAE Award for Best Joint Idea.

The Authority emphasized that students who complete the full program will graduate from Grade 12 with essential, life-saving skills, enabling them to respond correctly in emergencies and act as safety advocates within their families and communities.