Abu Dhabi Environment Agency sets up emergency centre
Emergency Operations Centre will keep residents safe in case of environment crises
Abu Dhabi: In case of environmental crisis such as oil spills, forest fires, poisonous algal bloom and other similar crises, an emergency centre will keep Abu Dhabi residents safe, the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi (EAD) announced on Sunday.
Located in the EAD headquarters, the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) is equipped with facilities to help experts contact and coordinate with the authorities necessary in controlling the incidents, if needed.
“Since there are an endless number of scenarios that could occur daily, we have categorised them into three levels. The first level is the least severe and could be handled by the EAD alone. The second one would typically require the intervention of different authorities who may play a crucial role in potential situations,” Dr. Humaid Al Kindi, Head of Emergency Management at the EAD, said.
Finally, the third and most critical level would require the involvement of authorities on a federal level, Al Kindi added.
“In this case, the EAD as a whole, would become an emergency centre with the main EOC becoming the hub for experts to operate from,” he said.
Four-hundred of the EAD’s employees are undertaking emergency training for level one situations, while higher ranking members of the Authority will receive more excessive training the more directly involved they may become in case of a situation.
“Besides having the right technology in place, we aim to ensure that we have trained professionals who can step in for additional support when needed, Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, secretary-general of the EAD, said.
The initiative is endorsed by the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA). In addition, the EAD has also partnered with the Health Authority Abu Dhabi (HAAD), Abu Dhabi Police and several other parties who may take the lead role in emergency situations depending on their nature.
The EOC will handle all situations in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and the Western Region. However, due to their different distances from the centre’s headquarters, response timings should not exceed one hour within the city, two in Al Ain and three for cases in the Western Region.
Residents who suspect any such emergencies may contact the Abu Dhabi Government hotline, 800 5555 which will direct their queries to the appropriate authority.
