ABU DHABI // Last year, people in Fujairah became curious at the sight of ambulances and emergency response vehicles making their way to an “accident” spot.
When they got closer, they saw remnants of an oil tanker which had burst into flames.
Fortunately, it was all just a drill.
Each year, the National Ambulance service works with agencies such as the civil defence and the police forces to stage mass casualty drills to help emergency workers prepare for real large-scale accidents or events.
“These mass casualty drills are done so we can respond to emergencies in the best way possible and we can get to scenes of emergencies really rapidly,” said Ahmed Al Hajeri, National Ambulance deputy chief executive.
“We do this across the Northern Emirates regularly. They are designed to simulate some mass incident.
“This can be anything from a three car-pile-up or a bus full of workers to a large-scale industrial accident.
“It has proven to be effective because it really increases the cooperation between agencies.
“Our staff working together with the staff on the ground so we really get to know one another and known what each other’s capabilities are.”
There have been 33 such drills in the past two years.
newsdesk@thenational.ae
