Muscat – The First Oman Civil Defence and Ambulance Conference & Exhibition opened on Wednesday at Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre.

More than 300 participants from Oman and abroad are taking part in the two-day event organised by the Civil Defence and Ambulance Authority (CDAA) to highlight the efforts undertaken in the sultanate to achieve the highest levels of safety and security.

The opening ceremony was held under the auspices of Dr Khamis Saif al Jabri, Chairman of Oman Vision 2040 Implementation Follow-up Unit.

On the occasion, Col Abdullah Saleh al Najashi, Director General of CDAA, said that the event coincides with International Civil Defence Day, reflecting the importance of the authority’s efforts in protecting lives and property of people. The event showcases the authority’s contribution to development plans, while addressing accidents and crises that threaten human life, wealth and the environment.

Col Najashi pointed out that the slogan of International Civil Defence Day 2023 – Role of Technical Systems in Risk Assessment – highlights the importance of information technology and its applications in risk management, preparedness and minimisation of pertinent loss, as well as evaluation of monitoring systems’ capacity to tackle risks.

Sessions of the conference will deal with risk legislations and regulations, risk reduction, lessons learnt from major accidents and best practices and technical applications in the field.

The first day of the event covered seven working papers on various aspects of safety, most notably the role of legislation and technical regulations in reducing risks, integration of risk assessment and emergency operations through technology, harnessing and using artificial intelligence techniques in risk management, and the role of modern technologies in risk management and minimisation of impacts of earthquakes.

The chief guest toured an exhibition accompanying the conference showcasing security and safety apparatus, civil defence and ambulance equipment, as well as a children’s corner comprising fire extinguishers, fire blankets, first aid and training equipment.