A senior official at the Ministry of Interior (MoI) has said that previous year has seen an extraordinary decline in fire accidents as compared to 2019 mainly due to more awareness among the society members. 

He also stated that the time responded to arrive at the fire accident point and commencing rescue operation is between 7 – 9 minutes.

Head of the Preventive Awareness Section at the General Directorate of Civil Defence at the MoI, Colonel Jaber Mohammad Al Marri said that, “Currently we have 23 centres that provide our services throughout the country, divided into all areas. The General Directorate of Civil Defence has divided the areas into three sectors: Doha sector, which includes 11 centres, then the South sector having six centres, and the Northern sector with six centres,” 

Speaking to Qatar Radio recently, he elucidated that the main cause behind the decline in fire incidents is hard work and efforts taken by the Department in creating awareness in society. 

Colonel Al Marri pointed out that the importance of taking all safety measures especially during winter camping season such as extinguishers and fire blankets, noting that early hours of the fire’s incident are very significant and that they contribute to reducing fire losses.

The General Directorate of Civil Defence at MOI also pays special attention to the educational aspect among campers aiming to familiarise the campers in key aspects like security and safety, and what must be done to prevent the accidents that may occur as a result of the wrong use of heating and electrical connections.

“In cooperation with a number of other departments of the Ministry of Interior and some other bodies, the General Directorate of Civil Defence conducts many visits to the campers to educate them more about the required safety measures, whether before, or after camping,” he added.

General Directorate of Civil Defence’s and its related department’s mission is to emphasize on the potential risks in homes, procedures for securing kitchens, heating tools through meetings, plans, and awareness programmes that work to activate this theme.

There were 11 fire trucks added to its fleet late in 2019 by the General Directorate of Civil Defence, in addition to 23 other vehicles that were contracted, which will come successively during the current year. These works are included in the extinguishing and protecting buildings and towers, rescuing accidents and land-based places, and dealing with chemicals.