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International Civil Defence Journal, Vol. XIX N° 1 , May 2009<br />
Fields, Activities and Procedures<br />
of Civil Protection in Egypt<br />
Civil protection is a mechanism set to implement<br />
a certain means and procedures with the<br />
aim of providing protection against natural, industrial<br />
and military threats. These procedures<br />
also aim to relief the impacts of such threats,<br />
coordinate efforts to confront them, help public<br />
facilities maintain their duties as well as set the<br />
appropriate procedures and precautions to protect<br />
lives, public and private properties under all<br />
circumstances.<br />
There are several fields and activities related<br />
to civil protection in Egypt to deal with all kinds<br />
of disasters (natural – man-made). These activities<br />
aim at achieving security, constant development<br />
and securing investments in the country<br />
through (fire-fighting – rescue – securing explosives)<br />
as follows:<br />
First: Fire-Fighting<br />
A) Protection:<br />
The General Administration for Civil Protection<br />
and its geographic branches are designated with<br />
putting safety conditions to public buildings and<br />
facilities, vital installations and touristic, private,<br />
industrial, trade and service facilities to protect<br />
them from dangers of fire and other types of<br />
threats. This is accomplished through inspecting<br />
these buildings and facilities in order to ascertain<br />
that safety conditions are applied with the use of<br />
necessary equipment, and that stuff members are<br />
well-trained to use such equipment.<br />
B) Fire Fighting:<br />
Civil protection forces are assigned to fight all<br />
types of fire accidents through the spread stations<br />
across the country. These stations and fire<br />
brigades are supported with fire engines and the<br />
various extinguishing materials (foam – chemical<br />
powder – gases), in addition to water taps for<br />
fire extinguishing in the cities, villages, industrial<br />
compounds and newly established urban<br />
zones.<br />
Second: Land Rescue<br />
Civil Protection Administration is designated<br />
also with dealing with all types of accidents of<br />
partial and complete collapse of buildings, road<br />
accidents, earthquakes, floods, collapses and<br />
other accidents.<br />
40<br />
These tasks are carried out by rescue teams deployed<br />
in all fire stations and equipped with the<br />
necessary tools and equipment to search for people<br />
missing under ruins, in addition to cutting,<br />
pulling, lifting tools, wiretapping and photographing<br />
as well as other necessary equipment.<br />
Moreover, there are police dogs units for search<br />
and detection of bodies and persons alive under<br />
the ruins. These units are provided by the K9<br />
Department at the Police Academy.<br />
Third: River Rescue<br />
River Rescue Department and stations affiliated<br />
to the General Administration for Civil Protection<br />
are designated with securing the water surface<br />
of the River Nile and the lakes spread in<br />
some governorates. This task is carried out by<br />
river rescue units equipped with fire fighting and<br />
rescue boats, water motorcycles, diving gear as<br />
well as the rapid rescue network (SOS). These<br />
teams respond to calls for help from any vessel<br />
with the aim of protecting tourist and economic<br />
activities in the River Nile.<br />
Fourth: Explosives<br />
Modern technological devices can be best utilized<br />
in eliminating dangers resulting from the<br />
use of explosives in terrorist actions that pose an<br />
eminent threat to the whole society.<br />
Such devices include explosives detectors used<br />
for detection of hidden explosives (traps) as well<br />
as early preparedness equipment. Police dogs<br />
also play a vital role in explosives detection due<br />
to its high abilities and qualities in this field. Police<br />
dogs are very reliable in cases that require<br />
precise results. Some of the aforementioned devices<br />
detect and disable bombs. Devices for detecting<br />
or dealing with explosives might vary<br />
according to the types and data of the explosive<br />
charge.<br />
Civil protection departments provide training for<br />
their stuff in order to be introduced to the latest<br />
scientific methods and practice using the latest<br />
techniques and equipment that guarantee safety<br />
when dealing with explosive charges. This is<br />
manifested in providing training courses in the<br />
field of dealing with explosives at General Administration<br />
for Civil Protection. Thus, the role<br />
and affectivity of civil protection system become<br />
more evident and clear as far as securing buildings,<br />
facilities, strategic, vital installations and<br />
VIPs against the danger of explosives is concerned.
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