Fire or stalled lift in 32,000 Dubai buildings can be detected by Civil Defence... and acted upon

With over 32,000 buildings in Dubai now electronically linked to the operations room of the Civil Defence, outbreak of fire or breakdown of lifts in the buildings can be detected without any human contact, according to Brigadier Ahmed Obaid Al Sayegh, Assistant Director General of Dubai Civil Defence.

If fire breaks out or the lift stops working in these buildings, electronic signals will be automatically sent to the Civil Defence, enabling it to rush to the building to bring the lift down, unless it has come down automatically, and rescue the people trapped inside, Al Sayegh said.

He said Civil Defence has the master key to open all types of elevators and its staff is trained to in rescuing people from stalled or crashed lifts.

At the end of April this year, 32,199 buildings in Dubai were electronically linked to the Civil Defence, he added.

Al Sayegh said people should not panic if a lift stalls because that could endanger their safety. If the lift is not electronically linked to Civil Defence, people trapped inside should call 997 and wait for the Civil Defence team to arrive.

He said elevators equipped with ventilation systems can ensure availability of oxygen to people trapped in stalled lifts.

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