Director General, Dubai Civil Defence
Ali Al Shouk | Senior Reporter
Even under normal circumstances, Dubai firefighters and Civil Defence personnel have to be in a state of high alert to respond to any fire or accident or any other emergency situation that can pose a serious threat to life and property. So, in March 2020, when the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the COVID-19 crisis a global pandemic, like Civil Defence and health workers all over the world, Dubai Civil Defence personnel too knew they had a massive task on their hands. And their state of preparedness paid off — in every sense of the term.
Lieutenant General Rashid Thani Al Matrooshi, Director-General of Dubai Civil Defence (DCD), told Gulf News that, once orders were issued to disinfect the emirate, his department was 100 per cent ready — thanks to the advance planning by his teams.
“Dubai Civil Defence deals with fires and accidents almost every day. So, when the pandemic hit the world, we were ready to respond. In 2017, we had drawn up a plan and conducted a training programme on how to deal with epidemics. Anticipating future threats and challenges helped us deal with the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Lt. Gen. Al Matrooshi during an exclusive interview with Gulf News.
During the first few days of the disinfection and sterilisation drive in March 2020, fire engines were modified at DCD’s workshops to disinfect the city. The entire team was also ready for its usual duty of responding to incidents of fire and other civil rescue missions. According to official statistics, firefighters extinguished 89 fires in buildings, as well as 53 car fires and conducted 76 rescue missions during this period of the pandemic.
Fire engines were equipped with disinfectants and these vehicles drove all around the city, with the Civil Defence personnel onboard in full protective gear.
“Since the beginning of COVID-19, our force was engaged with activities in disinfecting the city. We completed 90 per cent of the disinfection drive, besides dealing with fires and educating the workers on the protective measures to curb COVID-19,” he said. He said they even contacted the fire engine companies to add an option in future vehicles to include spray pipes under the vehicles so that they can come in handy during epidemics.
“We worked tirelessly to disinfect Dubai. Some areas were disinfected more than once. Compared to the dangers we have to handle on a daily basis, this was an easy task,” he added.
The operation was conducted following the highest international standards, as 75,000 litres of sterilisation fluid were used every day. “Our men were taught how to protect themselves from the virus during the disinfection drive and were provided with protective uniforms, masks and gloves,” added Al Matrooshi.
Raising awareness among workers
From disinfecting the streets and buildings to securing field hospitals and COVID-19 testing centres, Dubai Civil Defence even disinfected the houses whenever needed and raised awareness about coronavirus among workers. Visiting 490 labour camps in Dubai helped spread awareness among more than 170,000 workers, apart from sterilising their accommodations.
What motivated the personnel?
Lt. Gen. Al Matrooshi said that the morale was extremely high among his men during the pandemic due to the unlimited support by the UAE’s wise leadership. “UAE proved that it is a country capable of containing the pandemic, powered by our visionary leadership in making the right decisions. Appreciation and letters of thanks from our leaders come as additional incentives, motivating us for more sacrifices and determination on the road to victory against COVID-19,” he said.
“All of us have a strong sense of responsibility towards society as we know we are serving our nation — sustainable humanitarian care extended day and night to everyone.”
According to Al Matrooshi, the appreciation and support from society during the national sterilisation programme encouraged his personnel to work round the clock to bring life back to normality.
Smart services during the pandemic
Dubai Civil Defence provided 66 smart services to customers to ensure there was no need for their personnel to visit the sites physically.
Lieutenant General Rashid Thani Al Matrooshi, Director General, Dubai Civil Defence.
