Dubai Civil Defense conducted a strategic exercise to measure readiness in Mirdif City Center, in cooperation with its strategic partners; Dubai Police, Dubai Ambulance,
National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management, Dewa, RTA, Dubai Municipality, Emirates Red Crescent, Dubai Health Authority, and Mirdif City Center administration. The exercise was attended by Lieutenant-Colonel Abdullah Al Hurr Al Suwaidi, Deputy Director of the Security Scenarios Department at the Ministry of Interior and support officers, Major Abdul Rahman Al Saleh, Director of the Support Center and Captain Ali Muhammad Al Buflasa, Deputy Director of Station Affairs Department.
This exercise comes as a part of the federal plan to deal with commercial buildings emergency, and as part of the strategic plan of Dubai Civil Defense, to ensure preparedness, measure readiness, enhance partnership with strategic partners and achieve the best response rates.
According to the scenario, DCD Operations Room received an emergency call at 8:34 from the Security Officer at Mirdif City Center: “fire on the first floor”. Fire and rescue teams from Al Rashidiya fire station arrived at the incident site at 8:40. The teams dealt with the incident by briefing the accident commander about initial size-up results, and then deploying teams to fight the fire according to the prescribed scenario when responding to commercial buildings incidents. After that, support was requested from Al Mizhar fire station and Support center, which contributed to controlling the incident very quickly.
According to incident Bronze Commander’ statement, Captain Saad Al Mazrouei, deputy director of Al Rashidiya fire station: DCD operations room received a call of a fire in "Mirdif City Center", and according to exercise scenario, when fire teams arrived they found out that the fire was in the food court near the northeastern entrance, and immediately the teams began the procedures to deal with the incident by evacuating 5 injured people, two of them in a critical condition and three in a moderate condition, then they were handed over to ambulance for medical treatment. After that, teams started firefighting operations which brought the incident under control.
Incident Silver Commander, Captain Omar Beljafla, Head of Crisis and Disaster Dept. explained that the exercise enhances the goals of testing and implementing the general plan for commercial buildings emergency, reviews the efficiency of local agencies from strategic partners, enhances cooperation that achieves the strategic goals by providing more efficient and effective services, and emphasizes full readiness for Civil Defense and the ability to achieve the best response time rates.
Lt. Col. Abdullah Al Hurr Al Suwaidi praised the capabilities of Civil Defense firefighters and their ability to implement the scenario accurately, emphasizing that the exercise used the most advanced vehicles and equipment with high capabilities in dealing with emergency, which proved their efficiency in commercial centers incidents. Dubai Civil Defense and its strategic partners succeeded in carrying out their roles and responsibilities, as the joint evacuation drills are the main criterion for readiness testing, and one of the factors for sustainability of civil defense development and the effectiveness of its role to protect lives and property.
