Government employees will get fire safety training

There has not been a systematic method of getting 10 per cent of the population trained, which is what is required by UAE law.

Hossam Abd Nasser, left, public relations officer, watches Mohammed Ali Awadh, f Al Nahiya Group, at a fire training session for Government staff at the Corniche, Abu Dhabi. Ravindranath K / The NatioShow more

ABU DHABI // Government employees started fire safety training on Sundayy.

Led by Al Nahiya Group, of Abu Dhabi, the training aims to equip 10 per cent of staff in each government organisation with the required skills over the next five years.

“As we know, there have been a lot of fires in the UAE, a lot of property damaged, especially in Sharjah and Dubai, and these can all be prevented with the right training,” said Kim Okkola, Middle East manager of Finnish company Emzei, which produces the training equipment.

The team is working with Civil Defence organisations, as well as Tawazun and its brand, Jaheziya.

“Our aim is to train 10 per cent of [each organisation] in the UAE in the proper operation of portable fire extinguishers,” said Mr Okkola.

“We have come quite a long way and some of our clients include Emirates airline and Etihad Airways, which have been using our equipment for the last 10 years.”

Mr Okkola said there had not been a systematic method of getting 10 per cent of the population trained up – the figure required by UAE law.

“This is because it’s a lot of people and even the Government hasn’t had the right facilities in place to put that law into practice,” he said. “Our aim is to help those government organisations to get the people trained.”

The training uses live fire.

“Our simulator is the only type of device that can achieve those kind of volumes to cater to the entire market,” said Mr Okkola. “We will also bring our 20 foot [6 metre] mobile unit to schools to raise safety awareness.”

Mika Jarvenpaa, chief executive of Emzei, said it took about 15 minutes to train five people.

“The Civil Defence want to have people trained with real fires, not simulators like laser,” he said.

“The problem for them is where do you put this fire? The beauty about this particular unit is that it’s closed and safe, and this is very important for the Civil Defence as they have been debating about what is the best way to conduct fire safety training.”

He said trainees would be able to use the equipment as expected in a real situation.

“If it’s an electrical fire, they have to pick which extinguisher should be used,” he said. “They physically do it themselves.”

Companies involved in the programme include the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company and its subsidiaries, and universities.

“It’s a recurring training that will happen every year,” said Mr Okkola.

“A total of 83,000 people need to be trained in Dubai alone, as well as 13,500 security guards.”

Experts say Civil Defence has spent substantial amounts of money on fire safety education.

“They are investing heavily in fire prevention and fire fighting systems,” said Hani Kobty, technical manager at Telectron, a leading fire and security engineering contractor in Abu Dhabi.

“They [have] employed some of the latest technologies and safety measures. But, all this equipment will not be of any benefit if people don’t know how to use it.

“You also want individuals to be able to help each other in case a fire occurs, not just flee the scene, so such programmes are essential because they educate people on the use of fire prevention equipment, and how to handle each situation accordingly.”

He said local knowledge was not extensive yet, but that it was improving.

“Most people wouldn’t know when to use what type of extinguisher in case of a fire,” said Mr Kobty.

“There are different extinguishers for electrical fires, oil spills and paper fires. Today, as a fire engineer, you are not permitted to work in the industry unless you take a written test at the Civil Defence and get a score of over 70 per cent. If everyone is knowledgeable, it makes things easier for all parties.”