Any change in the structure or purpose of a Civil Defence certified building should be approved again if the certification is to remain valid, an official has said.
First Lieutenant Abdullah Essa al-Kaabi was giving a presentation at an introductory session on Monday about the New Civil Defence Law number 5 of 2015, organised by the Legal Affairs Section of the General Directorate of Civil Defence (GDCD)’s Prevention Department.
The public session was attended by many business owners, landlords and consultant offices in the country.
GDCD assistant director general Brigadier Aman Saad al-Sulaiti, Prevention Department director Brigadier Ibrahim Abdurrahman al-Muftah, and Legal Affairs Section head Captain Ahmad Saad al-Khulaifi were present.
Throughout the session, all the articles of the law were explained. Legal expert at Legal Affairs Section Dr Mohamed Sulaiman presented all the related articles of the law with adequate explanation. He also answered the questions of the attendees.
First Lieutenant al-Kaabi explained the mandatory safety measures and requirements for a building to be eligible for the Civil Defence clearance certificate.
These include approval of architectural drawings of the building, alarm systems and firefighting equipment before starting the construction, approval of special engineering plans of ventilation systems according to requirements of the authority concerned, and approaching the authorities concerned to renew the certification in a maximum period of seven days before the licence expires.
The participants were given the opportunity to voice their concerns and clarify doubts on the topics. Brigadier al-Muftah stressed that all officials are ready to co-operate with the parties concerned with the ultimate purpose of enhancing the safety of people and property.
“I appreciate that the law is new and many of you are not fully aware of its requirements and stipulations, so our offices are open for you and you can approach and contact us anytime and we are ready to co-operate with you in all possible ways,” he concluded.
