Dubai Civil Defence responds to 30% of fires in 4 minutes

Dubai Civil Defence has achieved an average response time of four minutes for 30 per cent of the fires it handled in 2015. Major General Rashid Thani Al Matroushi, director of Dubai Civil Defence, said that the target average response time for first responders to fires globally is between 6-8 minutes for 90 per cent of fire incidents.

His comments came during a visit to Al Hamriya fire station on Sunday. Maj Gen Al Matroushi commended the level of readiness of the firefighting teams and their speedy response to any fire incidents.

He urged the public to cooperate with the Civil Defence, as the public plays a key role in determining the team’s response time.

“The person reporting the incident needs to be as clear as possible, giving details such as the type and location of the incident, and any additional information that would affect the time it takes to reach the site of the incident,” he explained.

It is also crucial for road users to make way for emergency vehicles such as fire trucks, so they can get to the fire as soon as possible. “People should be alert to the sirens and make way accordingly. People should also ensure there is a path for easy access at the site of the fire, so firefighters can do their job,” Maj Gen Al Matroushi said.

Dubai Civil Defence, he said, is always keen on making use of best international practices to continuously improve its performance, including reducing the average response time in line with highest international standards.

“We measure our success through customer satisfaction, and we have achieved this through the excellent performance of our firefighters, including those working at Al Hamriya station,” he added.