Friday, August 3, 2018

RIYADH — All arrangements have been completed to carry out the general plan for dealing with emergencies in the 1439H Haj season and to provide all the means for preventive safety from hazards that the pilgrims and visitors to the Prophet’s Mosque might encounter, Saudi Press Agency (SPA) quoted the Director General of Civil Defense Lt. Gen. Sulaiman Bin Abdullah Al-Amr as stating Friday.

Lt. Gen. Al-Amr said, “The Civil Defense forces taking part in the plan have actually started carrying out their tasks in Makkah, Madinah and the Holy Sites. They have taken all the necessary measures for ensuring the pilgrims’ safety and for speedy intervention to counter all likely hazards that might occur while the pilgrims are performing their rites.”

The plan is being implemented in coordination with the government authorities concerned with carrying out the Civil Defense measures.

The Directorate General of Civil Defense is participating in this year’s Haj works with 18,000 officers and privates supported by 3,000 machines, deployed at all locations frequented by the pilgrims and visitors, and on the roads leading to them, Al-Amr said.

He said the objective is to deal with all hazards threatening the pilgrims’ safety. The Civil Defense forces participating in the Haj tasks this year are ready to deal with any dangers or risks that might threaten the pilgrims’ safety.

He lauded the level of cooperation and coordination with all the authorities taking part in carrying out the general plan for emergencies in Haj. Al-Amr praised the keenness of the Saudi leadership to provide all facilities and capabilities to the Civil Defense forces participating in Haj works.

Al-Amr confirmed the keenness of the Directorate to update its plans for deployment and stationing of the Civil Defense forces participating in the Haj this year on the basis of lessons learned from the past pilgrimages. This is aside from creating a number of new units for speedy intervention and creating awareness in the field of safety and preventive supervision.

In another development, the Ministry of Haj and Umrah has approved a proposal presented to it by the Coordination Council for Companies and Establishments Serving Local Pilgrims to allocate emergency buses for local pilgrims’ companies at the rate of 3 percent of the pilgrims included in the Mashaer Train service, according to the seasonal license for the 1439H Haj season, SPA said Thursday.

The ministry held a joint meeting between the Coordination Council and the Cars General Syndicate. It resulted in an agreement among all on the mechanism for carrying out the proposal.

The agreement also included stressing to bus owners to park their buses outside the Holy Sites and outside Makkah’s districts, at the end of the pilgrims’ arrival trips and departure journeys. A sketch map should be submitted showing where the buses have been parked. – SPA

Source: http://saudigazette.com.sa/article/540440/SAUDI-ARABIA/Al-Amr-General-plan-for-emergencies-in-Haj-set