Business & Money | Saturday 12 March, 2016 3:05 pm |

A delegation from the Civil Defense General Headquarters at the Ministry of Interior examined the latest experiences and expertise provided at the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) main headquarters in Boston, and by the city’s different fire departments.

Major General Jassem Muhammad Al Marzouqui, Civil Defense General Commander-in-chief, revealed that the visit falls in line with the strategy adopted by the civil defense sector in the country. “The visit aims to acquaint us with the different practices and experiences adopted by developed countries in terms of firefighting and fire prevention. It also aims to reinforce cooperation with local and international organizations and partners to evaluate and develop services, notably enhance response to fire accidents and guarantee the implementation of prevention and safety requirements in the country’s buildings and facilities.

The delegation was headed by Brigadier Mohamed Abdullah Al Nuaimi, Director of the Fire Prevention and Safety Affairs General Directorate, and comprised Captain Abdullah Salem Al Hinai, First Lieutenant Hamad Abdulkarim Al Mazmi and First Lieutenant Humaid Al Ali.

Brigadier Al Nuaimi explained that the visit aims at examining the tasks undertaken by NFPA, which is considered the international reference in fire prevention and safety. He said: “The visit is designed to acquaint us with the latest international experiences and expertise in the civil defense sector and to conduct benchmarking with local services with the aim of improving and developing operational procedures and operations for accident response, fire prevention, and social education.”

As a part of the visit, the UAE delegation visited the New York City Fire Department, the Operations Center, the dispatch center, and the Fire Department Training Academy. They also met with the New York City Fire Commissioner and a number of officials in the city, to discuss ways to enhance mutual cooperation between both sides.