Civil Defense personnel have been receiving different training courses in Europe, Sa'ad Al-Twaijri, chief of Civil Defense in the Kingdom, said here on Sunday. Training courses in fire and rescue in high-rise buildings with foreign experts started after Prince Muhammad Bin Naif Bin Abdul Aziz, Deputy Minister for Security Affairs at the Ministry of Interior, approved the same about two years ago, Al-Twaijri said. Courses given to 40 trainees by French firefighting professionals represented a significant step for Civil Defense expertise, particularly in their work in main cities and Haj operations, he said. There were also five training courses being given at the Fire Service College in Moreton-in-Marsh in Great Britain, the first two in Search and Rescue, and Breathing Equipment, he added. The three other courses, in Advanced Fire Extinguishing, Hazardous Materials and Environmental Protection, and Water Accident Rescue, will follow the Haj season. The latter course will involve Italian resuce professionals to provide training in coping with heavy rain and flood emergencies, part of a program to train instructors in which more than 800 individuals have taken part over the last two years. This year's training, due to be completed in readiness for this coming Haj season, sees the involvement of 4,000 trainees in all aspects of the Civil Defense operations. – Okaz __
