The Public Authority for Civil Defence and Ambulances (PACDA) recorded over 3,400 fire incidents in 2020, it was revealed as PACDA celebrated the World Civil Defence Day on Monday.  

The annual event which is marked on March 1, this year came under the theme ‘Civil Defence for the Protection of the National Economy’. 

Gen Salim bin Yahya al Hinai, director general of Civil Defence, in a statement said that the 3,409 fire incidents recorded in 2020 however was a 12 per cent decrease on the previous year’s figures of 3,864. 

Gen Hinai said, “The ambulance centres in all governorates of the sultanate dealt with 11,834 cases in 2020, compared to 12,892 cases in 2019. Land rescue teams dealt with 1,397 complaints in 2020, compared to 1,973 cases in 2019.” 

He added, “Our search and rescue teams also help people who are stranded on mountains, or have fallen into wadis.  

“Water rescue teams in various governorates of the sultanate in 2020 dealt with 361 such cases, compared to 369 cases in 2019.” 

Gen Hinai confirmed that a specialised team dealing with radiological, chemical and biological accidents dealt with seven accidents in 2020, compared to four accidents in 2019.  

The authority also recorded 24 incidents of building collapses in 2020, compared to 18 accidents in 2019. 

Gen Hinai stressed that the authority follows up and studies various construction plans and projects, clarifies safety requirements, and makes field visits to residential, commercial and industrial establishments, and public and private facilities, to ensure the implementation of safety requirements and civil protection requirements and issue licences according to the type and size of the facility.  

Meanwhile, the statistical indicator related to civil protection licences for commercial, industrial and residential establishments registered 53,657 licences in 2020.