Sharjah - Sharjah Civil Defence Department holds meeting with construction consultant companies
Published: Tue 3 May 2016, 6:37 PM
Last updated: Wed 4 May 2016, 10:03 AM
Fire accidents in Sharjah have declined by 30 per cent during the first quarter of this year compared to the same time period last year.
Brigadier Abdullah Al Suwaidi, Director-General of Sharjah Civil Defence Department, said that the efforts being made by Civil Defence to save lives and properties had paid off.
The department has carried out intense awareness campaigns to educate people about importance of following fire safety rules and procedures.
The Civil Defence also made great efforts to respond to emergencies in a shorter time that the standard one.
"In order to achieve quick response we are planning to increase number of fire stations in vital areas in the emirate," he said.
The department is currently working on adding a fire station in University City for quick response and to minimise the loss of property, as happened during the fire which erupted at a parking lot of the women's college and gutting large number of cars.
The wind always contributes to quick spread of the flames, so that the quick response would play great role in controlling the blaze before its reach to nearby premises or object.
He pointed out that the department is currently coordinating with concerned authority to solve the issue of using the cladding materials, which is flammable and caused massive fire in number of buildings in Sharjah.
The inspections are being carried out in all buildings to ensure that they are following safety roles and not using flammable material in its constructions.
Licences will not be issued for new buildings, if the developer fails to prove that they have implemented fire protection system and abide by fire safety condition to prevent accidents.
"We are waiting for the new UAE fire and life safety code, which may prohibit the using of flammable materials or come with solution for cladding panels on high-rise towers."
The comments made on the sideline of a meeting with construction consultant companies organised by the Civil Defence at the Hilton Sharjah.
The meeting also discussed the mechanism of spreading awareness among the public to follow the fire safety procedures and how to fight fires before they spread.
afkarali@khaleejtimes.com
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