File photo used for representation only
The General Directorate of Civil Defence has said that the response time to attend fire and rescue incidents in Sealine and Khor Al Adaid areas is between 5-10 minutes. There are modern vehicles and equipment for the Civil Defence to secure this camping season.
The winter camping season requires more efforts not only from Civil Defence Department to respond to fire incidents and rescue cases but also from the Traffic Department to keep number of accidents low.
“The time of arrival of teams varies according to different aspects as the geography of the area. But in general, the response to incidents of fires is between 5 to 10 minutes,” said second Lieutenant Ali Abdulhadi Al Marri, an officer at the Mesaieed Civil Defense Center at the General Directorate of Civil Defence.
Speaking to Qatar Radio, he said: “From two to three months, we have developed our vehicles and equipment for rescue, as well as making sure that our personnel are ready.”
Al Marri explained that the preparations started early because department’s preparations are not only for the camping season but for a number of other events such as car races and falcon festival. Regarding the most common issues that cause fires, he said: “The most prominent wrong behaviours committed by some campers are the proximity of tents, as well as electrical generators that are placed in some cases very close to tents, as well as the quality of electrical wires and their installation by non-technical staff.”
Regarding the nature of the reports the Department receives, Al Marri said, most of them are car accidents and the rescue incidents, in addition to fires as well. On the awareness plan for this season, he added: “We have an education section to prevent these incidents and educate campers around coastal areas of the country.”
