Dubai Police save hundreds of children in emergency rescues

The search and rescue team completed 4,568 missions this year, including saving 239 children who were trapped inside cars and elevators due to their parents’ negligence or failure to take sufficient preventive steps

- Somaya Saad, Staff Reporter

The search and rescue team at the General Department of Transport and Rescue, Dubai Police, completed 4,568 missions this year, including saving 239 children who were trapped inside cars and elevators due to their parents’ negligence or failure to take sufficient preventive measures.

The team also rescued people who suffered sudden health crises while driving or were locked in vehicles following traffic accidents.

The hard mission teams are always prepared to deal with all emergency incidents, 24 hours a day, in full readiness to deal with all types of incidents as fast as possible, Major General Rashid Al Falasi, director of the department, said.

The teams are divided into shifts so that their members are ready at any hour when they receive a report about anyone being involved in an emergency incident, he added, stressing their keenness to quickly provide assistance to those in need and rescue them as quickly as possible because the time factor in accidents is of great importance.

The concerned teams implemented a series of awareness videos via YouTube this year, which included guidelines on how to maintain the safety of children inside cars, homes and elevators as part of the police's efforts to raise the level of community awareness and reduce accidents resulting from negligence, he said.