Fahd Al-Manaee Saudi Gazette MAKKAH – Over 500 fire drills were conducted this year at tall buildings and towers near the Grand Mosque to test fire safety systems and ensure they meet all safety standards, said Col. Khalaf Al-Matrafi, director of Makkah Civil Defense. Emergency exits, alarm systems and automatic firefighting systems have all been tested in these facilities that serve thousands of pilgrims every year, he said. As part of safety procedures, all Makkah hotels were required to have safety officers in them to double-check safety and security systems and make sure they do not constitute any danger to pilgrims, he added. Those safety officers should be qualified and experienced in their field, he noted. He added: “This year's plan ensures that firefighting teams and vehicles can be dispatched in several locations to respond effectively to any emergency case that takes place, God forbid, in one of these tall buildings and towers. “We also have helicopters that are equipped with all necessary firefighting and rescue tools to support land teams.” Over 2,500 Civil Defense personnel will participate in this Haj's contingency plan, Col. Al-Matrafi pointed out. The goal is to be prepared for any possible risks early and improve preventive measures that reduce the occurrence of any danger, he added. Twenty-two safety teams and 90 inspection teams have paid several field visits to hotels, tunnels, malls and other facilities and checked their safety measures. The Civil Defense has mobilized state-of-the-art equipment for this Haj season. It will use large vehicles that can be used to tackle fires and rescue people at the same time. There are special firefighting trucks for dousing industrial fires, vehicles that can help rescue teams respond to building collapses and motorbikes that have water extinguishers. The latter can be used to tackle a vehicle fire inside a crowded place where it would be normally difficult for a firefighting truck to reach quickly. Over 36 firefighting and rescue units have been put on alert for this Haj season while 10 rescue teams have been trained on how to respond to emergency cases inside the crowded area near the Grand Mosque.
