NCEMA Opens Coordination and Response Office in Ras Al Khaimah,
H.E. Mohammed Khalfan Al Rumaithi, NCEMA’s General Director and Major General Sheikh Talib bin Saqr Al Qasimi, General Commander of RAK Police and Head of the local emergency team in RAK, have inaugurated the new branch of the coordination and response office in the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah. This step comes within the Authority’s plan aiming at ensuring the presence of national response teams in the country’s seven emirates.
The visiting delegation, accompanied by Mr. Ali Rashed Al Niyadi, Director of NCEMA’s Operations Department and a number of officials from the RAK Police General Command, was briefed on the technical equipment and administrative procedures used at the office to strengthen the capacity of the local emergency team to perform their duties and responsibilities.
A presentation was delivered on the latest electronic systems and communication tools used by the office in the field of emergency management. The presentation tackled ways of enhancing communication channels and coordination among national coordination and response offices, on one hand and among central operations centers, on the other hand. Light was also shed on the mechanism of assessment of response time and central operations systems, as well as the coordination process among partners and stakeholders through the development of communication, control and orientation systems in the field of emergency and crisis management, according to the latest available mechanisms.
The visiting delegation was made aware of the roles and responsibilities of the office, including the main operations room equipped with the latest communication and event tracking systems. The latter is operated by liaison officers, who coordinate with stakeholders to ensure a successful crisis management process and follow up on the latest developments with the concerned authorities.
The national coordination and response office is responsible for following-up on the daily emergency events with competent authorities, participating in drafting and updating the local risk register, defining and updating capabilities and local resources and participating in the preparation of local response plans, as well as local trainings and exercises, in light of the strategic vision presented by exercises prepared by different stakeholders and overseen by NCEMA in coordination and cooperation with concerned ministries and competent authorities.
Moreover, the local and national coordination office ensures consistency between local programs and national programs, with the aim of identifying the best way to manage crises.
For his part, Major General Sheikh Talib bin Saqr Al Qasimi, General Commander of RAK Police stressed that the presence of a local emergency team shall contribute to a better implementation of the comprehensive strategy highlighted in the emergency and crisis plans adopted by the higher leadership and to the improvement of the national response duration at emergency and crisis, according to the best practices and in coordination with ministries, federal and local authorities, as well as emergency and disaster committees at the local and federal levels.
Sheikh Talib said that the local emergency team is also responsible for preparing reports on the emergency response, submitting recommendations to the team of senior leaders and conducting field visits to examine the best practices in preparedness and response systems. The team also identifies potential hazards at the local level and categorizes them according to their type, probability and impacts, while preparing response plans and programs and assessing the readiness of responding agencies.
He added that the local emergency team coordinates and participates in the follow-up process of the implementation of all the requirements of business continuity in the ministries and vital institutions. Furthermore, the team members assess the situation and readiness of infrastructure to face crises and disasters, while ensuring that the organizational units implement the decisions taken by the team in relation to the system and take the necessary measures to improve performance.
Al Rumaithi praised the use of modern techniques and communication systems to ensure coordination among stakeholders and with the national operations center in order to share the CRIP and information, according to the latest security standards.
He praised the role of the local Emiratis enrolled in the local emergency team trained to ensure an efficient and successful management of crises, emergencies and disasters, encouraging them to deploy further efforts and work as one team guided by a patriotic spirit to protect the country’s achievements.
Major General Sheikh Talib bin Saqr Al Qasimi received in the RAK Police General Command office H.E. Mohammed Khalfan Al Rumaithi, acoompanied by Mr. Ali Rashed Al Niyadi, Director of NCEMA’s Operations Department and Mr. Khalfan Nayeh Saeed bin Hafesh, Director of the national coordination and response office in RAK. The meeting emphasized aspects of joint cooperation and ways of developing the work of the local emergency team.
Sheikh Talib bin Saqr commended the vital role of NCEMA in preparing emergency plans and coordinating policies and national measures to improve readiness and oversee the management of national incidents.
The General Commander of RAK Police praised NCEMA’s coordination role among all sectors and institutions concerned with the management and implementation of emergency plans. He added that NCEMA provides all means of success for the responding teams and contributes to highly-skilled society, which facilitates the task of crisis managers, in the event of an emergency requiring immediate response.
For his part, Al Rumaithi commended the implementation of the recommendations of H.H. Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, National Security Advisor and CEO of NCEMA, which anchor the principles of response, successful management, innovation and best solutions, through the available capabilities and skills contributing to a speedy response.
On behalf of NCEMA’s CEO and board of directors, Al Rumaithi thanked Sheikh Talib bin Saqr Al Qasmi, General Commander of RAK Police for the guidance he provides for the local emergency team to discharge their duties and enhance readiness to face emergencies and crises within one team. Al Rumaithi reiterated the importance of coordinating roles and responsibilities, defining the tasks of the local emergency team and ensuring coordination between the public and private sectors.