A total of 19 helicopters, equipped to fly in all-weather conditions, are being used for surveillance and emergency services this Haj, said Major General Muhammad Bin Eid Al-Harbi, Commander of Civil Defense Aviation. The copters have already carried out eight sorties over the skies of Makkah and the holy sites this Haj season. There were no reports of major problems. He said all the helicopters are equipped with thermal cameras and other sophisticated devices and can fly during the night and day. They can fly at a height of 3,000 feet and have high maneuvering capabilities. The Civil Defense has already designated a location for a new helicopter response unit in Madina. Regional manager Ali Al-Otaibi said the Civil Defense has placed a maximum response time of three minutes for the most remote accidents in the region. He said that a lot of perceived lateness in arriving at the scene of an accident was due to the stress of the public at the site. __
