Homemakers trained to combat residential fires

sharjah — The Sharjah Protection and Safety Authority (SPSA) has imparted training to 100 homemakers on how to curb and handle fires at home.

The workshop titled ‘Home Safety and Security’, held at the Sharjah Culture Palace, in collaboration with the General Directorate of Sharjah Civil Defence, was meant to raise awareness on all types of fires and educate the participants to handle any accident that they might encounter in the vicinity of their homes. The workshop offered the homemakers preventive measures to be followed at home, and how to deal with gas cylinder blast, fire outbreak, gas stove fire, children’s fall and heater explosion. Participants were trained on how to use fire alarms and extinguishers as well.

The event was part of the SPSA’s annual public awareness programmes so that people have control over possible risks at the right time. Shaikh Saif Mohammed Al Qasimi, director-general of the SPSA, said the workshop targeting housewives is the first of its kind in the emirate. “It is in line with our strategy to spread and boost safety and prevention culture among members of the society, mainly homemakers, to curb accidents and its impact on humans and properties.”

Colonel Sami Khamis Al Naqbi, director-general of the Sharjah Civil Defence, said that the participants were trained on the right way to deal with accidents as they occur. “They were also enlightened about the main causes of fire, let alone the practices that lead to accidents such as electric overloads.” Failing to regularly maintain electric gadgets, particularly air conditioners, and using poor quality devices, are some of the reasons blamed on these hazards, he added. “Doing maintenance by non-specialists, failing to timely notice and fix cooking gas leakage, and ignoring maintenance of gas extensions on a regular basis also count.”

The workshop, in view of the interior ministry strategic goal to boost civil safety and prevention, is one of our principal duties to ensure the highest levels of safety for individuals and properties.”

Colonel Sami Khamis Al Naqbi,

director-general, Sharjah Civil Defence