JEDDAH/RIYADH: The head of the Civil Defense in Makkah has said that royal instructions have ordered the installation of permanent warning sirens across the country to alert the public to natural disasters. Speaking to Okaz/Saudi Gazette, Adil Zamzami said that the first areas to receive the sirens would be those most vulnerable to flash floods. Jeddah already has 21 fixed sirens and other mobile ones mounted on Civil Defense vehicles, he said. “They have been a great success in warning the public at a number of threatened locations,” he said. “The order for sirens across the country will be put into effect soon, and priority locations will be decided by vulnerability and population density until the every region is covered.” Zamzami said the sirens would be used to warn the public not only of potential floods but of any natural threat such as earthquakes and volcanoes. He noted that sirens were used to good effect in Umm Al-Khair District, which was struck by heavy rains last week. “They had a big part to play in warning the local population who were then able to take the best course of action to them in time,” he said. “But sirens were not the only factor in saving lives in Umm Al-Khair. The efforts of officers on the ground led to people being rescued from flooded houses and the Civil Defense worked side by side with other authorities to confront the danger.” “There has been a great deal of cooperation between relevant sectors including Ministry of Interior, authorities such as the Civil Defense, the police, the Traffic Department, as well as the Ministry of Health, the Jeddah Mayor's Office and meteorological bodies, all followed closely by the higher authorities,” Zamzami said. “Plans have been put into effect well and warnings sent out to the public through the media and via mobile telephone text messages. This has all helped to reduce damage, despite the rains which in some places were very heavy and up to 70mm, as in Jeddah for example.” This resulted, he said, in the public taking greater precautions and proceeding with much greater care. Zamzami also answered critics who bemoaned the lack of rescue aircraft, saying that a fleet of 100 aircraft was on standby 24 hours a day. “The only thing affecting their operation will be weather conditions. If the weather does not permit take-off or is deemed dangerous to fly then aircraft are grounded for the safety of everyone,” he said. Abdullah Al-Qaffari, the spokesman for the Civil Defense, said that 12 government bodies were working continually with the Civil Defense to confront the danger of heavy rains and flash floods. “With constant coordination with the Presidency of Meteorology and Environment all teams are at the ready for any rains forecast in Riyadh,” he said.
