The UAE has updated its 2011 fire safety code, linking all important buildings to a smart fire safety system of the Civil Defence where fire warnings will automatically be sent to the operations room
Speaking to the Gulf News, Major General Jassem Al Marzouqi, commander-in-chief of civil defence, Ministry of Interior, said, “Within three years, we will be connecting all vital and important buildings with the new smart system.”
The officials explained that alarm signals will be immediately sent to the Civil Defence operations rooms, eliminating the need to report the fire on a building, said the source.
Al Marzouqi added to the source that all buildings and homes across the UAE will be equipped with new smart system of fire prevention mechanism.
Al Marzouqi cited the example of Dubai where all buildings are connected with the smart system and stressed that Abu Dhabi and other emirates focus on gradually rolling out the plan.
The requirements to ensure the safety of the buildings and to prevent fire include sprinklers, alarm system and fire extinguishers.
Speaking to the source, he noted, “There are new requirements for new buildings which developers have to follow, and for old buildings we also have a minimum requirement to provide safety to the society.”
“In last five years things have changed. Now we have new challenges, new technology, new kinds of training, tactics of fire fighting and new system of fire preventions. So all these considerations were taken into account to update our code and make it more sophisticated in protecting our society and lives and properties,” Al Marzouqi explained to the source.
