By Peter TownsonThe summer months present an increased risk of fires, according to Civil Defence officials, who said that despite the heightened risk, the number of fires so far this year is comparatively lower than previous years.Lieutenant Fayez al-Anzi was speaking at the Sheraton Doha yesterday, where an emergency evacuation drill was held as part of the hotel’s and the civil defence department’s efforts to promote safety awareness.He explained that the summer heat contributes to an increased risk of fire outbreaks, but said that this year has seen a decrease in the number of fires because of raised awareness throughout Qatar.The annual drill was organised during the Starwood Safety, Security, and Environmental Health Week.Al-Ansi explained that the drill was part of a nationwide effort to ensure that buildings housing large numbers of people at any one time are ready to deal with fire and safety issues should they arise.He explained that the civil defence have a maximum response time of eight minutes, but usually aim to be at an emergency situation within five minutes.
At a situation in a large hotel, represented by yesterday’s drill, around 30 firefighters would make up the initial response team who could then request backup if needed.A number of vehicles would also be involved in such an operation, and al-Ansi explained that the department will be adding to its collection of state-of-the-art emergency vehicles in the near future.The Sheraton has a direct hotline to the department and is traditionally regarded as one of the best prepared establishments in terms of safety, explained al-Anzi.Yesterday, around 750 members of staff and 192 in-house guests evacuated the hotel and gathered in the recreation centre within the target 15-minute deadline.“Being part of Starwood hotels and resorts, and within Qatar National Hotels, it is crucial that our staff and guests feel comfortable while staying and working in the hotel,” said general manager, Steven Kalczynski.“It went like clockwork – I was very, very pleased,” he stated, adding: “when you have as important guests as we do in the hotel, it’s very important to ensure that everything is working properly.”