Rescue teams are all set for emergencies
dubai — Anticipating an influx of beachgoers during summer, the Dubai Municipality has formed an integrated rescue and safety team to meet emergency situations.
The civic body has provided 30 rescue platforms across the emirate’s public beaches, including nine main platforms and 21 sub-rescue platforms. A total of 85 trained lifeguards and supervisors are now working to enhance the safety of beachgoers.
Hussain Nasser Lootah, Director-General of the Dubai Municipality, said the civic body supervises the training of lifeguards on a regular basis. The total number of training hours for rescuers reached 32,375.
He said lifeguards were also provided with wireless communication equipment and marine rescue equipment needed to perform first aid. Beaches are now equipped with CPR equipment and oxygen gas cylinders among other medical devices needed to carry out initial rescue operations.
Lifeguards were also provided with 100 rescue boards and lifebuoys, besides the various means of transportation including five jet skis and eight beach buggies equipped with necessary equipment to facilitate their mobility and shorten response time to emergencies.
The environment department has also designed special areas for marine sports and activities at Umm Suqeim I and Jumeirah 3 beaches, to ensure safety of the beachgoers and provide adequate space for sports away from swimming areas.
Visitors to the beaches for leisure or marine sports can visit www. dubaicoast.ae to check the state of the sea. The site presents real-time data and meteorology as well as live images of the beach. The municipality also provided drones to rescue swimmers from drowning.
Alia Al Harmoudi, director of environment department at the Dubai Municipality, said no deaths or drowning cases were recorded from July last year until now.