Dubai Police have taken another step to strengthen their response to emergencies and weather-related incidents by adopting the Disaster Rescue Equipment (DRE) project on Wednesday, November 11.

The project expands and develops the force's fleet of heavy rescue machines and specialised boats, raising readiness to deal with the effects of climate change, natural disasters and major accidents, and cutting emergency response times.

Under the project, rescue teams will be better equipped for a range of scenarios, especially tropical conditions, floods, torrents and collapses, and will be able to reach affected areas that are difficult to access with conventional machines.

The fleet will include highly mobile heavy rescue machines, among them specialised four-wheel and six-wheel drive trucks built for difficult terrain. They can be fitted with equipment to lift debris, remove obstacles and tow stuck vehicles, opening paths for emergency teams and speeding up the rescue of trapped people. They will also carry equipment and personnel to accident sites and support evacuation operations.

For floods and torrents, the project includes boats dedicated to water rescue and evacuation, able to reach people stranded in flooded areas that land vehicles cannot access. The boats will speed up field deployment and widen the geographical coverage of rescue teams.

Brigadier Ali Mohammed Faraj Al Muhairi, Director of the General Department of Transport and Rescue, said the project prepares Dubai Police for future challenges, foremost among them the potential effects of climate change and exceptional weather, adding that protecting lives remains the force's permanent priority.

Brigadier Khaled Al Hammadi, Deputy Director of the department, said the project goes beyond enlarging the fleet and focuses on developing operational capabilities, helping to reduce response time and prevent human and material losses.

(Source: Khaleej Times)