DAMMAM, 25 October 2003 — The fire at Al-Hair Prison last month has alerted prison and Civil Defense authorities in the Eastern Province who are now checking the fire safety system, upgrading it and conducting drills in prisons. The Al-Hair Prison fire claimed lives of 67 inmates.
“We don’t want a repetition of this tragedy here and will do everything to prevent that,” an official at the Alkhobar Civil Defense Department told Arab News.
In the course of its preventive program, the Civil Defense Department has conducted an evacuation drill at Alkhobar prison.
“The drill was a big success. The aim was not just to check our preparedness but to educate the inmates about evacuation and first aid,” said Col. Adel Al-Muzien, head of the Civil Defense in Alkhobar.
Some 50 firemen forming three rescue teams and three firefighting teams along with several other government agencies took part in the exercise. The main emphasis on the drill was on evacuation in the event of a fire. In the mock fire the Civil Defense team arrived at the scene in record time and identified the affected and sensitive spots.
