The start of the National Forum for Developing First Responders’ Skills in Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi, June 13 / WAM / The National Forum for developing the skills of specialized and community first responders was launched today in Abu Dhabi, under the slogan “Together for the Preparedness of a Nation,” with field and virtual participation, and a practical training program through a field training center, as part of the national efforts aimed at enhancing preparedness and response to various emergencies, crises and disasters.
The forum is part of the initiatives of the unified and integrated national system for preparedness and response, under the supervision of the Abu Dhabi Center for Disaster Medicine, and with accreditation from the Preparedness Academy, the European Center for Disaster Medicine, and the National Training Center.
The forum aims to develop the skills of front-line workers, enhance integration between the various entities concerned with emergency response, in addition to enhancing the culture of community preparedness, and enabling community members to contribute effectively to supporting the national response system.
The forum includes two main axes: The first focuses on specialized first responders, targeting workers in government and private institutions, including workers in the medical and health fields, ambulance and emergency teams, security and police services, civil defense, and special task forces.
The second axis targets those working in crisis and disaster management and vital and strategic sectors, with the aim of developing specialized skills and enhancing coordination and integration between the various entities concerned with emergency response, ensuring a rapid and effective response to various incidents, risks and threats.
The forum also includes a group of scientific programmes, specialized workshops and discussion panels, which review the latest international experiences in emergency and disaster medicine, mass casualty management, command and control, rescue and evacuation, and response to health, biological, chemical, radiological and nuclear risks, in addition to addressing the use of modern technologies and artificial intelligence in supporting emergency response operations.
Dr. Adel Al-Shammari Al-Ajmi, CEO of the Zayed Giving Initiative, Chairman of the Emirates Doctors Initiative, and CEO of the Emirates National “Readiness” Program, said that the slogan of the forum, “Together for the Preparedness of a Nation,” reflects the importance of partnership between institutions and individuals in strengthening the national preparedness system, stressing that the aware and qualified community is an essential partner in protecting lives and property and supporting the efforts of the competent authorities during emergencies and crises.
He added that investing in human resources development and continuous training contributes to raising the efficiency of responding to various emergencies, crises and disasters in accordance with the best international standards and practices, explaining that the program complements a series of national initiatives launched in recent years to enhance national preparedness, and has succeeded in training and qualifying more than 20,000 specialized and community first responders, which has strengthened rapid response capabilities and raised the level of coordination and integration among the concerned authorities.
Professor Roberto Mogavero, President of the European Center for Disaster Medicine, said that investing in training and qualifying first responders is one of the most important elements in building societies capable of confronting crises and disasters, noting that international experiences have proven that rapid response and the efficiency of human resources are crucial factors in reducing losses and protecting lives and property.
He added that the European Center for Disaster Medicine is proud of its strategic partnership in supporting these high-quality initiatives, which aim to develop national capabilities in disaster and emergency management and risk preparedness, in line with international standards approved by specialized global institutions.
He explained that building an integrated network of specialized and community first responders enhances the resilience of communities and their ability to adapt to various challenges, stressing that continuous training, simulation-based learning and field exercises constitute basic pillars for developing preparedness and achieving an effective response.
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