Dubai Civil Defence introduces 'Exploration Quad Copter' to assess risk

In operation for the past one month as part of the Civil Defence’s Smart Services, no height is too high for the Exploration Quad Copter, used in conducting exploration trips for safety hunting.

In a city full of skyscrapers, battling high-rise blazes can present fire fighters with life threatening decisions, but the Dubai Civil Defence has now introduced a device that can assess how big a risk it is before sending rescuers into a building.

Jamal Ahmed Ibrahim and Ali Salim Ali from the Dubai Civil Defence in front of a Quad copter at the Intersec expo at Dubai International Convention Centre.— KT photo by Juidin Bernarrd

In operation for the past one month as part of the Civil Defence’s Smart Services, no height is too high for the Exploration Quad Copter, used in conducting exploration trips for safety hunting.

On show at this year’s Intersec 2014 at the Dubai World Trade Centre, the Ministry of Interior’s Director of Preventative Safety Department Lt-Colonel Jamal Ahmed Ibrahim says the device is a first of its kind in the UAE, and the world.

“Nobody else in the world uses this kind of device in the way that we (Dubai Civil Defence) do. We use it for inspections, monitoring safe practice and fires.”

Meet the feathered mascots The exhibition halls at the Dubai World Trade Centre brought a touch of the wildlife indoors at this year’s Intersec 2014, with two falcons on show. Garnering huge popularity with visitors, one-year-old Jassy, who recently came third in a 2km race with a time of 1min 24secs, and three-year-old Marah, attracted most of the limelight this year, with passers-by stopping to pose for a snap with the domineering birds. Falcon Supervisor Sarab Mandha says Jassy and Marah, who are mascots for Naffco’s Fire Falcon Rescue Vehicle, seem to be loving the attention so far. “This is the first time they have represented a brand at such a big event, but I am very proud of them. They are doing a great job.” The limelight-loving twosome was on show throughout the duration of the exhibition.

Resembling a traditional remote control helicopter — bar the addition of two extra propellers — the quad copter comes in three different models and can go above and beyond the world’s tallest building, reaching heights of up to 1000m.

Operational from up to 1km away, the multi-use device can be controlled manually, or by using a GPS tracking system — a feature which saves time and money according to Lt-Col Ibrahim.

Aptly timed with the ongoing transition of Dubai becoming a Smart City, and in an age where technology dominates, Lt-Col Ibrahim says the concept came about after a meeting with His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

“Our Shaikh Mohammed said he wanted something intelligent. For that we chose an intelligent system, and technology breeds intelligence.”

As well as being able to effectively control fire emergencies and better gauge the risk factors involved in fighting a fire, the mini exploration aircraft can be used to early detect violations made by residents and companies alike.

“The smaller model can fly into areas where inspectors would usually find difficult to manoeuvre in and out of,” Lt-Col Ibrahim says, adding that if a violation is detected, the inspector at the control centre can then contact the violator and warn them of their findings.

He says the new electronic inspections back Dubai’s journey to becoming a green city as it eliminates the need for paper on site as it collects, documents and analyses the information via video.

Director of Dubai Civil Defence’s Smart Technology Section Ali Salem AB Ghalaita — and one of the main operators of the quad copters — says with only three in operation at the moment, he is hopeful that the next few months will witness the roll out of the aircraft in every Civil Defence station in the emirate.

“We need to look to the future. With the number of fire fighters in our section, we can’t cover Dubai, it’s too big. That’s why we need to use technology to help us. This is just the beginning for us,” he says, adding that once this roll-out is complete, the department will look to create similar devices to help Civil Defence workers in the future.

With the dawn of the Expo 2020 on the horizon, Lt-Col Ibrahim says the exploration copters are the perfect solution to help monitor and ensure that ongoing constructions works are being completed to the highest standards.

Manufactured in three different sizes, the smallest model is used in violations detection, and can fly for up to 25 minutes at any one time. Its compact size enables it to manoeuvre in and out of small spaces and is mainly used in warehouses and buildings to detect safety issues, storage problems etc.

The medium-sized model is used to support firefighting operations and can be airborne for up to minutes at any one time. The third model is used during major fire accidents, helps to monitor traffic flow and is sometimes used for promotional purposes by capturing aerial photos of the city.

Currently in its 16th edition, Intersec 2014 started on Sunday and concluded on Tuesday, with estimated visitors’ numbers expected to reach 25,000 across three days.

kelly@khaleejtimes.com

Intersec focuses on security From firefighting drones to disabled-friendly safety aids, this year’s Intersec has seen a number of exclusive safety products showcased for the very first time, but it seems there is one trend keeping exhibitors coming back to Dubai. “The security market in Dubai particularly, is booming. Just in the past few years alone, we have sold many products to this market,” Genius Vision Digital’s team sales engineer Charly Wang told Khaleej Times on the sidelines on the closing day. Wang, who is at the exhibition promoting his company’s state-of-the-art on-board video surveillance systems for school buses, attributes this growing market and continued focus on security to the rapid development of Dubai, along with its recent Expo 2020 win. “Dubai has become a key player in the world market. So many businesses now work directly from Dubai, and there are hundreds of security manufacturers based here, too.” Debuting in Dubai 16 years ago, Intersec has witnessed a steady incline in terms of exhibitors and visitors over the years, and CEO of Epoc Messe Frankfurt Ahmed Pauwels, the event organiser, said the decision to start the event in Dubai was an obvious one. “Why not Dubai? should be the question people ask. It’s one of the main trading hubs in the world, and sees continued import and export movement. This is why the show is so immensely successful.” Pauwels said although Dubai, as a local economy, is not actually big enough to carry such a big show, the selling point was its trading hub which reaches 1.5 billion people every year. Starting as a one hall show with 50 to 60 exhibitors, numbers have now risen to 1,200 this year spread across 8 halls — “a sizeable increase” according to Pauwels. With participation from some of Dubai’s key government players including Civil Defence, the Policing Academy, Dubai Police and the Dubai Forensics Department, Pauwels said they are not only exhibiting new products to the world through Intersec, but are actively involved in the show, speaking directly to visitors and putting on informative presentations. Showcasing its RFID security fobs for the sixth year running at Intersec, Securitag Assembly Group’s representative Sarah Wu,a Taiwan-based manufacturer, says the customer footfall at the Dubai show is what makes their presence there a success. Over 2,000 brands have gone on show at this year’s Intersec, with pavilions from 13 countries including China, Singapore, the UK and the USA. news@khaleejtimes.com

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