Abu Dhabi: People from all walks of life in the UAE have recently been trained in first and crises response skills under the Emirates Foundation’s Sanid Programme – the National Emergency Response Volunteer Programme.
The ‘Civil Protection and Safety’ sessions covered numerous topics including the different types of disasters and how to respond to them, first aid, how to deal with the injured, crowd management, the ethics of volunteering, among other topics.
In collaboration with various Majalis and other entities in the UAE, the Programme aimed to equip citizens and residents with the necessary skills and training to maintain the safety and well-being of their communities in times of crises, in line with Sanid’s goals to build specialised teams of volunteers who are well-prepared to safeguard civil safety of their neighbourhoods.
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With a satisfaction rate of 94.2 per cent, volunteers received a total of 2,303 training hours at various locations across the UAE.
Emergency response
Khaled Al Tenaiji, Manager, Sanid Programme, said: “For more than 12 years, Sanid Programme has designed initiatives and programmes that engaged thousands of volunteers from all over the UAE and encouraged a sense of shared responsibility towards the society. The Civil Protection and Safety initiative is just one example of the programme’s relentless efforts to provide well-trained emergency response volunteers who are capable of assisting local and national authorities in case of crises or emergency situations.”
He added: “After the successful launch of its pilot phase in 2022, the initiative returned this year with four training sessions in the Northern Emirates and two others in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. As many as 384 volunteers, of which 50 per cent are UAE nationals and 192 expatriates of 31 different nationalities, partook responsibility during these sessions, contributing to building teams that are well-prepared for civil protection and safety across the country.”
The training sessions were held in collaboration with Al Ain University in Abu Dhabi; Al Khawaneej Majlis in Dubai; Mughaidir and Al Subaihiya Suburb Majalis in Sharjah; Ras Al Khaimah Al Bida Center in Ras Al Khaimah; and Karat Majlis in Fujairah.