DM holds emergency and crisis response seminar

The seminar was held in conformity with the Strategic Plan of the Emirate of Dubai for 2007-2015 that embodies the vision and objectives of the government to achieve community health and safety by taking all measures to ensure public safety.

The seminar, held at the Municipality Staff Club, was also in consideration of the fact that hazard and emergency management is one of the important areas that should be addressed with high priority.
The seminar, addressed by international experts in the field, was aimed at enhancing the knowledge of the participants on preparing emergency and crisis management plans as per the best practices in the world in this field. This is the second such seminar conducted by the Municipality as the Environment Protection and Safety Section had organized the first seminar on emergency preparedness last year.

Eng. Redha Salman, Director of Public Health and Safety Department opened the seminar in the presence of Eng. Salah AbdulRahman Amiri, Assistant Director General of Dubai Municipality for Public Support Services Sector.

He said the seminar was very important considering that it was the first step in the process of obliging the concerned parties on the necessity for preparing emergency plan for them as per the best practices in the world, adding that this plan and the extent of its effectiveness should also be followed up by the Public Health and Safety Department in the Municipality.

Many organizations concerned with emergency and hazard management, hotels, big shopping malls in the emirate and different organizational units in the Municipality were invited to the seminar. More than 90 people including technical professionals and decision makers in different bodies participated in the seminar.

Mr. Kiley J Taylor, Director of International Training Services for Zephyr Environmental Corporation, USA and Manager of Zephyr's HazMat Academy lectured on the importance of preparedness for emergency situations in all the industrial, professional and civil fields.

Dr. Moeen Fikry, Clinical Director, Emergency and Trauma Centre, Rashid Hospital, Dubai, and Dr. Dhul Fuqar Ali, Senior Specialist Registrar, Emergency and Trauma Centre, Rashid Hospital, Dubai gave a brief about Dubai Government's Vision 2015, especially the health and medical preparedness in case any incidents, emergency situations or catastrophe occur.

They also shed light on Dubai experience in this field through the strategies of Dubai Health Authority aimed at setting up government hospitals with the cooperation of hospitals in the private sector, especially the emergency preparedness. In this connection, they also touched upon the unique experience of Al Maktoum Centre for Casualty, Jebel Ali, which is considered to be the first of its kind in the Middle East region.

The third lecture delivered by Mr. Joseph Hillard, international expert from USA in emergency and crisis management. Hillard, who represented Mirdiff Consultants for Security and Safety, talked in detail about the major factors that should be taken into consideration while preparing emergency plans for hotels, high rise buildings and shopping malls.

Mr. Emmanuel Muller, international expert in the field of preparing emergency plans, who represented IRCA Middle East, lectured focusing on the departments in the Municipality as it is a government body.

He dwelt upon the importance of follow up work in the government departments during emergency situations and incidents and also the need for applying Incident Preparedness and Operational Continuity Management (IPOCM) system, which will increase competency and effectiveness of work in a faster way during emergency and crisis situations.