| 29 Aug 2010 |
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Civil Defense prepared to tackle big rush in Makkah
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MAKKAH: As the flow of Umrah pilgrims and visitors to the Grand Mosque gains momentum in the holy month of Ramadan, the Civil Defense in Makkah has mobilized all resources to cope with any emergency situation.
Equipped with state-of-the art facilities and equipment, the Civil Defense has been closely monitoring the movement of pilgrims after implementing safety measures, especially in the central Haram area and other parts of the holy city, according to Capt. Waleed Abu Shanab, director of operations in Makkah.
He told Arab News that the operations room had received almost 21,500 calls during the first 10 days of the fasting month.
"Our department has set up 1,700 cameras at the entry and exit points of the holy city as well as in the central Haram area and the holy sites. These cameras help us monitor any situation throughout the city. Our field staff swing into action based on images from these cameras," he said.
Shanab said that there are three wireless channels that give instructions to various units and teams. Channel 3 is used for general safety during the holy month.
"There is a patrol division under this channel. It is comprised of a number of officials and soldiers and supervises various locations, passing comprehensive information to various Civil Defense teams," he said.
"There are patrol units, equipped with highly advanced communications equipment, that can rush to the scene of any reported incident on motorcycles, even through narrow roads."
According to Shanab, Channel 2 is for extending all technical support to the Civil Defense, especially with regard to making available heavy equipment for fire extinguishing and rescue operations.
He said that the third wireless division -- Channel 4 -- was responsible for coordinating rescue operations after receiving information about an emergency. This division has been engaged in helping the Civil Defense deploy forces and equipment.
Shanab said the operation room is also working to make more units and forces available to deal with emergency situations.
He added that information can be passed on to the operation room through various means, such as the 998 emergency number, a phone facility linked with government departments, a hotline for some agencies and mega projects including the King Abdul Aziz Endowment Project, cameras, alarm systems or geographical information system.
Shanab said the operation room has a state-of-the-art system to verify each and every call that it receives.
"We have special field teams to verify the authenticity of information we receive before embarking on rescue missions," he said.
"We had received a lot of hoax calls earlier and had to tackle them with the support of highly advanced information technology. Moreover, we are striving to improve safety and security awareness among both citizens and expatriates."
Shanab added that the operation room has prepared a comprehensive plan in coordination with the Meteorology and Environmental Protection Agency with regard to tackling floods.
"If we receive warnings about heavy rain, sandstorms and other situations, we take necessary precautionary measures in coordination with concerned departments, such as the governorate, municipality, police, traffic, communications and road departments," he added.
By BADEA ABU AL-NAJA
© Arab News 2010
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