Smart bikes to respond to emergencies in Sharjah

Sharjah - The motorbike can enter areas that have dense population, congested traffic and narrow streets to reach the accident site.

The Sharjah Civil Defence will introduce smart motorbike response units called "First Responder" to achieve minimum response time to fire accidents and other emergencies, an official has said.
The First Responder bike is equipped with smart technology, latest medical equipment and innovative solutions, including hydraulic technology, fire extinguishers and an automated external defibrillator that will help emergency personnel respond more efficiently to ensure the safety of the victims.
The motorbike can enter areas that have dense population, congested traffic and narrow streets to reach the accident site. It is faster than the intervention vehicle which require the motorists on the road to cooperate to give way to reach the accident site.
"The First Responder unit and five fire stations that will be opened soon will play great role in reducing the response time. The new stations will be opened in addition to the 10 fire stations of the Sharjah Civil Defence," the official added.
The civil defence has recently taken various measures to respond immediately to the emergencies, including making it mandatory for industrial and commercial establishments and residential buildings to be equipped with smart alarm system linked to the civil defence control room. When a fire occurs, the system alerts the operations room and sends instant information to dispatch firefighting teams from the nearest fire station to the site. This system has contributed in reducing the response time to six minutes. "Industrial and commercial establishments are obliged to pay for the firefighting operations if a fire breaks out due to their negligence. This rule, which was introduced last year, has gone a long way in decreasing fire accidents in Sharjah by six per cent during the last year which witnessed 325 fire accidents while the previous year witnessed 346 fire accidents."
He pointed out that the civil defense also introduced measures to minimise the number of accidents during the last years. These measures include practical training on evacuation and awareness campaign that saw an increase of 64 per cent.
afkarali@khaleejtimes.com
 

• Sharjah