RIYADH — In a decision issued recently, whose contents Okaz Arabic daily has gone through, the competent authorities have allowed the Civil Defense or the related authorities to seek the assistance of the personnel of other government agencies, individually, to carry out Civil Defense tasks. This ought to be in line with a decision of the Minister of Interior or whoever he authorizes to specify the names of the summoned person, the authority he is working in and the duration of the summons. This call to aid will be during emergencies and these individuals will be contacted by means of rapid communication, or by collective summons through the mass media, and this regulation will come into effect within 50 days. The statutes on the rights and duties of those whose assistance is sought in the work of the Civil Defense, stipulate that the summons period should not exceed 30 days per year, and in cases of necessity it may be extended, provided it does not exceed 60 days per year. The summoned person will be obliged to fulfill the summons and start the task at the earliest, unless failure to do the required is due to a legitimate excuse. He/she should not divulge any secrets that he/she comes across during the summons tasks period. The person must preserve and use with proper care whatever equipment or materials he/she is entrusted and return the remaining unconsumed quantities at the end of the summons period. Nobody will be allowed to obstruct or impede the summons or implementing it, and the summons authority will verify the presence of the summoned person, and inform the pertinent authority on the extent of his implementation of the work for which he was summoned. Furthermore, the respondent's employer will bear his salaries, allowances and compensations throughout the summons period. While the summoning authority will bear the salaries of the summoned employees of the private sector, irrespective of whether the respondent is from the public or private sector, he will receive treatment as if he was on the job — in terms of treatment, sick leave and compensation in the event of death or injury as a result of the summons actions — and the summoning period will be counted as actual service for the summoned person at his workplace.
