The urge to help in an emergency is one of the most admirable human traits, but there are times when such well-intentioned efforts can be misplaced. One example is the fire that broke out at the Bani Yas souq on Friday afternoon, affecting 16 shops. Bystanders joined firefighters in dousing the blaze.
While the instinct to help in this scenario is laudable, in cases of clearly dangerous situations such as fires it ought to be left to the professionals to do the job safely. In the aftermath of the Bani Yas fire, captain Abdulla Al Tamimi, head of media and public relations at the General Directorate of Civil Defence in Abu Dhabi, applauded the bystanders’ willingness to help but also urged them to resist the urge to take an active role.
This points to a bigger issue about fire safety. In recent months, this newspaper has reported on people using lifts to leave burning towers and returning to get valuables. The rule for fires is to get out and stay out – and let the professionals handle it.
