With UAE’s 42nd National Day drawing near, the Operations Rooms at Abu Dhabi Police launched a societal initiative to honor individuals who demonstrate a high level of societal responsibility by calling the emergency number 999 to report serious emergency incidents that require immediate response and timely intervention. This measure is intended to encourage members of the public to report life-threatening and serious events that require urgent response.
The Operations Department at the Central Operations Directorate General of Abu Dhabi Police established a timetable for the initiative, to coincide with the different official events scheduled to take place during the auspicious occasion (religious, national, security and social events) across the country. The department indicated that the initiative is presently set to comprise the cities of Abu Dhabi and Al Ain and their suburbs, with plans to include the Emirate of Abu Dhabi at a later stage.
To this end, a coordination meeting was held on Monday at the Abu Dhabi Police General Headquarters to examine the proper mechanisms to honor cooperators. Attending the meeting were Major Khalid Mohammed Al Fil, Head of the Community-based Initiatives Team from the Public Relations Section at the Abu Dhabi Police Traffic and Patrols Directorate; Captain Tareq Al Junaibi, from the Community Police; and First Lieutenant Fahed Al Dahmani, Secretary of the Operations Department’s Director’s Office (and supervisor of the initiative). Also present were First Assistant Bader Al Jabri (from the Al Ain Police Directorate); Corporal Saif Al Bloushi, public relations coordinator at the Operations Department, submitter of the idea and coordinator of the initiative; along with a representative from the Security Media Department.
According to First Lieutenant Fahed Al Dahmani, the initiative was set forth with a view to reward callers who report crimes and emergencies, in recognition of their keenness to maintain security and safety. It also aims to encourage citizens and residents to report incidents, and to enhance community awareness of the role of the Police Operations Room, which is to receive and handle emergencies only. It emphasizes the need to distinguish between types of notifications (criminal, traffic, rescue, ambulance, or other notifications pertaining to the Civil Defense), and sheds light on the instrumental role of the caller in ensuring timely intervention and response by the proper entities.
Al Dahmani indicated that the initiative will be implemented during the UAE’s 42nd National day celebrations and for a period of approximately 11 days. It will begin tomorrow Wednesday, November 27, and will continue through Saturday, December 7.
With respect to the proper way to report crimes and incidents, Al Dahmani noted: “Community members are required to specify the type of the reported emergency – if it’s a criminal or a traffic-related emergency, or an emergency that requires ambulance or civil defense services. Callers must indicate the estimated number of casualties or victims and the potential risks on location; they must also provide the Operations Room with the necessary information clearly and rapidly without confusion. They are required to designate the accurate location of the incident by indicating a specific landmark in the vicinity, and to give their name and telephone number.”
Al Dahmani stressed the need for callers to stay on line and cooperate calmly with the competent authorities pending their arrival. “Callers need to react intelligently and rapidly to be able to successfully handle an emergency situation to the extent of their knowledge, pending the arrival of the patrol officers. They are required to cooperate fully with the competent authoritie