The Ministry of Interior, represented by the General Directorate of Civil Defense, celebrated the World Civil Defense Day, that falls on the first of March of each year.

The celebration of this event aims to emphasize the efforts of the civil defense personnel in protecting property and lives, strengthening the means of prevention the foundations of public safety and its reflection on the national economy.

On this occasion, Director General of the General Directorate of Civil Defence Brigadier General Hamad Othman Al Dehaimi, said that the member states of the International Civil Defence Organization have been celebrating the World Civil Defense Day on the first of March every year, in appreciation of the great efforts made by the civil defense agencies to maintain security and safety. Al Dehaimi added that this year's celebration will be held under the slogan "The Civil Defence Force in protecting the National Economy," to signify the importance of the work of civil defense and its close link with the strength of the national economy.

Al Dehaimi said, there is no doubt that the economy of any country or the work of any investor relies heavily on securing work fields by the Civil Protection to ensure continuity and the absence of any emergency that could stop work and risk loss. He further pointed out that this year's slogan reflects the role of civil defense in protecting facilities that have accelerated their pace remarkably, similar to the facilities of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, such as football stadiums, factories, hotels, and buildings, in addition to securing all aspects of trade and investment in its various fields.

Brigadier Al Dehaimi noted that the General Directorate of Civil Defense has been an integral part of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Safety and Security Operations Committee, in the field of securing tournament stadium facilities and their compliance with internationally applicable safety regulations and their conformity with the Civil Defense Law, indicating continuous coordination between the administration and the authorities responsible for the construction of the World Cup facilities. Adding that the General Directorate of Civil Defence covers or secures stadiums and prepares qualified cadres to deal with emergency situations during matches and events, whether in the stadiums or in the headquarters of the participating teams, fan's areas and training grounds.

He also noted that Civil Defense secures stadiums and prepares qualified cadres to deal with emergency situations during matches and events, whether in the stadiums or in fan zones and training grounds.

He emphasized the experiences gained by the directorate through its dealings with various sporting events in the country and abroad. He added that the directorate also sent a number of officers to attend international tournaments to gain further expertise, including to World Cup 2018 in Russia. He said that he was pleased with the experience gained by various teams from helping in the organization of the FIFA Club World Cup in Qatar.

He praised the role of the Ras Laffan Emergency and Safety College and its contribution to providing the directorate with qualified engineering cadres to work in the field of civil defense, who hold a certificate in emergency and disaster management, as well as specialists in fire and safety engineering and other specializations.

He stressed that the Civil Defense Department keeps abreast of the comprehensive developments and renaissance in the country through continuous training and qualification for its employees in cooperation with Ras Laffan College for Emergency and Safety.

He expressed his appreciation of the great cooperation between all parties participating in the evacuation training, which aims to increase awareness of safety procedures and train workers in various agencies on how to face fires and emphasize readiness. He pointed out that the civil defense directorate participated in the exercises at the railway stations under the supervision of the Public Transport Security Department to determine the measures taken to secure the stations, in cooperation with a number of concerned authorities.

He also announced the inauguration of two new cars for use in rescue and rapid intervention operations. He said that one of these new cars is intended for rapid intervention, and another is being used for the first time in the State of Qatar and is intended for rescue operations, whether from collapses or various accidents.

Al Dehaimi explained that such new mechanisms help the working teams in carrying out their work and facilitate their movement and speed in their response to accidents. It also meets the immediate needs of the civil defense work and works to strengthen the administration's modern fleet.

He concluded his speech marking the occasion by calling on the public to pay attention to the issue of public safety and urged him to follow the awareness messages that the Ministry of Interior publishes on its website or its platforms on other social networking sites.

(QNA)