Eid Al Adha: Sharjah Police launch 2 'smart' rescue patrols to handle drowning, road accidents

Sharjah - Such cases mostly increase during Eid holiday and summers.

Two 'smart' patrols for maritime and land rescue have been launched by the Sharjah Police. These will help reduce drowning cases and road accidents that mostly increase during Eid holiday and summers.
Major General Saif Al Zari Al Shamsi, commander-in-chief of Sharjah Police who witnessed the inauguration of the rescue patrols, said that the new patrols will boost the performance and operation of rescue mission. These embody the strategic goal of the Ministry of Interior to ensure readiness and preparedness to face emergency events, he pointed out. 
He said that the marine rescue patrol is designed to act rapidly during accidents such as drowning, or the loss of people at sea, recovery of vehicles, and sunken objects. The vehicle is provided with a high-performance lighting column for night search and rescue operations, in addition to diving equipment and swimming buoys, Al Shamsi added.
He said that the new land rescue patrol features modern specifications, and is equipped with hydraulic equipment that helps to deal with external road accidents, which result in injuries to people who are stuck in vehicles. A foam extinguishing device is available to deal with minor fires in vehicles. It also has pillows pneumatic to lift heavy objects, to facilitate access to injured people and those trapped underneath, along with many types of equipment that support ground rescue areas.
Al Shamsi stressed that launching of the two vehicles comes in line with the efforts of Sharjah Police to update and keep pace with global best practices. "These  patrols will allow teams to quickly provide assistance to the needy, and enhance their efficiency."
170 rescue missions  
A top official at rescue department of Sharjah Police said that during the first six months of this year, the department has carried out more than 170 rescue missions on land. This is as compared 550 rescue missions, including 540 on land and 10 at sea, last year.
These missions included rescuing people trapped in cars after traffic accidents, towing vehicles that had broken down, rescuing people from drowning, finding people lost in the desert, and even opening stuck elevator doors.

afkarali@khaleejtimes.com

• Sharjah