Badea Abu Naja and Mishaal Al-Otaibi Saudi Gazette MAKKAH/RIYADH — The Civil Defense reequipped 27 temporary units and 36 permanent units in preparation for any emergency resulting from the crowdedness of Ramadan. Makkah Civil Defense Director Maj. Gen. Salim Al-Matrafi said Civil Defense officers are ready to respond to emergency reports in all areas of Makkah, especially in the Grand Mosque. “The officers are trained to deal with any possible danger the pilgrims may face. Ramadan is one of the most crowded seasons for local and foreign pilgrims. Our units are dispersed in every nook and cranny of the city to ensure that the people of Makkah and its visitors are always safe,” said Al-Matrafi. He also said there are five units in Al-Aziziyah District and a unit on Makkah-Jeddah Road and in Al-Rusaifah District, Al-Sharaie, Kadah, Al-Khazrah, Al-Misyal, Al-Masafi and Ajyad Al-Sud. “There is also a unit by the mosque's expansion center, the mosque's development projects center and Jabal Al-Kaaba in the central area. There are 12 quick intervention units and seven units of officers on motorcycles who can enter narrow and crowded areas in the event of an accident,” said Al-Matrafi. He added Civil Defense officers are not the only ones responsible for people's safety. “The staff members of restaurants, commercial centers, institutes and any facility near the mosque are all trained by the Civil Defense to apply safety and security measures and react in times of emergencies and accidents,” said Al-Matrafi. He also said citizens are encouraged to report any accidents or violations they see to the Civil Defense. Public Security Director Maj. Gen. Othman Al-Muhrij said the Ministry of Haj has made sure all safety and security procedures are applied in the Grand Mosque and all emergency plans are perfected. “On my aerial and field visit to the mosque on Friday, I went to the mosque, Al-Shumaisi District, Al-Nawawiyah, Al-Sharaie, Jeddah-Makkah Road and Old Makkah Road. I was checking on the traffic flow, pilgrim services and the new expansions and development projects implemented for Ramadan,” said Al-Muhrij. He added all pertinent authorities including the Civil Defense, Red Crescent and police have trained and ran drills of emergency plans in preparation to this month. “Our officers are trained on chaos management in order to handle unpredicted and unpreventable crises in the smoothest and most reassuring way possible. All directorates in Makkah are working together to serve the pilgrims and visitors of the city and the Grand Mosque,” said Al-Muhrij.
