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Major General Rashid Thani Almatrooshi, UAE’s Civil Defence Acting Commander-in- chief announced that Civil Defence GHQ launched the first widespread drive for Families Safety at Homes.

The first of its kind worldwide drive comes in line with the directives of His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed, the President of the State, and under the direct follow-up of his H.H Shaikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime and Minister of Interior.

The campaign aims at spreading the preventive behavior amongst all members of the family through regular visits that carried out by Civil Defence teams to different houses, deliver its awareness message, and distribute campaign guidelines and publications to the family members.

While casting light on the causes and timing of the campaign, he added :’According to the outcome of statistical data analysis regarding the size and numbers of fire accidents seen in UAE during the recent five years performed by Civil Defence and other specialized laboratories, which has revealed that percentage of home fires, is the highest among other types of fires and resulting in remarkable increase in the size of losses, especially in human lives.

Based on the above result and on the directives of our wise leadership, a committee consisting of specialists, Civil Defence field commanders and other concerned bodies was formed to investigate the causes of these fires, ways to prevent them and setting up appropriate remedies.

The set committee has arrived to the following facts:

Houses, safety wise, are divided into two categories:

A) Newly constructed having fully provided with safety requirements, where risk of fire is rare

B) Old houses lacking minimum safety requirements, where risk of fire is high.

According to the committee findings, causes of fire include:

1) Lack of preventive awareness among the people, which lead to negligence, is considered the main cause of fire.

2) Poor fire safety infrastructure in the old houses

3) Most of fires accidents are mainly attributed to:

Improper electrical devices and networks

Improper Gas cylinders/systems

Unapproved construction alterations in the houses

Unmonitored ignition sources

Therefore, the committee has clearly stated in its conclusion that unless preventive awareness is widely spread among the members of the family, fire prevention at homes cannot be realized.

Hence, this comprehensive national awareness safety drive aiming at spreading awareness education and provision of safety requirements at homes is the brainchild of the committee.

The Launched campaign is well considered as unique of its kind worldwide, being the first preventive media campaign that aims to spread safety education and guidelines with one mission, vision, methodology and unified objective and simultaneously by one team to wider sectors of UAE families.

The starting date for the campaign is Monday 20/12/2010, when all teams all over UAE will start their visits in the same timing.

Civil Defence Director in each concerned Emirate or city and his assistant team shall implement the campaign in their jurisdiction sector. Sector’s Commander and his deputy and awareness officer shall visit the houses. Sector’s Commander shall illustrate the campaign content to the members of the family and attend their questions.

Sector’ deputy commander shall perform:

· Inspect the house in the presence of the house owner and with consent, as per the approved form.

· Fill, sign and Deliver a copy of safety inspection form to the family.

· Submit a copy of the inspection form to Civil Defence centre in the concerned area of jurisdiction .

Awareness officer shall take down the details of the house and owner’s satisfaction questionnaire as per the attached form.

The Sector’s commander shall deliver a bag containing the following awareness publications in both Arabic/English languages: Guidelines sticker/My house is safe/My child is safe/ My kitchen is safe/ My tent is safe/Energy conservation Tips.

Special awareness board is prepared to be hang on the door of the house/flat if found locked, along with a bag containing all other publications concerning the campaign.

9Sector’s deputy commander shall write the house owner’s suggestions regarding safety in the house.

At the end of the visit, while the team is leaving a sticker with campaign Logo shall be adhere to the door of the house, written on it in both Arabic/English: The house has been visited, Thank you.

Civil Defence Director in the concerned Emirate or City shall monitor the verification process of the visit results, being forwarded to Civil Defence Commander in chief office/ National campaign for Family’s safety at Homes.

Media Coordinator shall publish a monthly report on the campaign results in all over UAE.

The Campaign’s media coordinator shall provide in cooperation with the various Civil Defence Departments in the country and House’s owners the Media means with the news of the campaign events and the activities of its implementing teams.