Dubai tower security guards to get trained in fire safety

Dubai Police chief says it's essential that guards know what to do in emergency situations and that they can help in evacuating people

A massive fire rips through The Torch's southern corner. Antonie Robertson / The National

Security guards at high-rise towers must be fully trained in fire safety or they will be out of a job.

That was the message from Maj Gen Abduallah Khalifa Al Marri, commander in chief of Dubai Police, on Tuesday as he announced that existing guards and new recruits will be trained in how to react when a fire breaks out.

Maj Gen Al Marri said that the importance of training security guards in towers was put into perspective after Dubai Marina’s Torch fire.

“There were vehicles parked underneath the building and most of them got burned. The security officer should have alerted residents about these vehicles,” said Maj Gen Al Marri.

“If the security officer at the building was aware of fire safety guidelines, he would have told residents about the dangers of parking in undesignated areas. Also, the security guard at the tower did not participate in evacuating the residents.”

The police chief said that, once trained, security guards would get safety certificates.

“There are plans to recruit security guards at towers who have a certificate related to safety measures at towers, including fire safety guidelines,” he said. “This would include training so security guards can evacuate people if a fire starts in a tower.”

Maj Gen Al Marri said that a security guard should always watch for potential fire hazards while patrolling or watching over their tower. “A security officer at a tower must be able to hand details about the fire to firefighters and police officials as they arrive at the scene,” he said.

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