The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has announced the signing of a MoU with the General Directorate of Civil Defence at the Ministry of Interior for Bahrain, thus marking a significant step in its ongoing efforts to enhance strong fire safety and prevention measures in the kingdom.

 

Founded in 1896, NFPA is a global, self-funded, nonprofit organisation devoted to eliminating death, injury, property and economic loss due to fire, electrical and related hazards. 

 

The MoU signing ceremony, held during the annual NFPA Conference & Expo in Orlando, Florida, was attended by key representatives from both entities. 

 

The MoU is aimed at fostering a collaborative relationship between the two parties, leveraging the extensive NFPA expertise and resources in fire, electrical and life safety, and Bahrain Civil Defence’s local knowledge and experience in the areas of firefighting and civil defence. 

 

The partnership will focus on organising awareness forums to disseminate critical information aimed at reducing the impact of fires and hazards, said the statement from NFPA. 

 

Additionally, both parties will work together on relevant laws and standards, promoting education and sharing best practices to enhance public safety in the kingdom, it stated.

 

"Building on the NFPA Fire & Life Safety Ecosystem framework, we are charting a roadmap for developing comprehensive training and certification programs, advancing fire research, and enhancing public education across the kingdom," remarked NFPA President & CEO Jim Pauley. 

 

"We are very pleased to be working with Bahrain on this initiative, which aims to advance fire safety and mitigate risks through increased fire risk awareness and reduction strategies," remarked Pauley.

 

On the significance of the partnership, Engineer Dana Kamal, the Director, International Business Development for Mena region at NFPA, said: "It’s an honor to collaborate with Bahrain Civil Defence on our shared mission to advance fire and life safety across the kingdom. By leveraging the NFPA Fire & Life Safety Ecosystem, we aim to empower communities and ensure that Bahrain Civil Defence personnel are equipped with the highest standards of safety knowledge and skills to help fulfil their commitment to public safety and create a safer environment for all."

 

"Together, we will make significant strides in fire safety education, training, and awareness programs, enabling us to work more closely to address emerging fire safety challenges and enhance the effectiveness of our initiatives," he stated.

 

On the strategic tieup, Brigadier Pilot Ali Mohamed AlKubaisi, the General Director of Civil Defence of Bahrain said: "This initiative is a strategic milestone for the General Directorate of Civil Defence to implement Bahrain's Economic Vision 2030 by raising the level of safety and fire prevention. This MoU allows us to be part of the NFPA Ecosystem, learning, developing, and benefiting from international community experiences in order to participate in strengthening this framework."

 

With operations in over 70 countries, supported by more than 5,000 volunteers, and engaging with over 43,000 global members, NFPA is actively promoting safety in a rapidly electrifying world, addressing critical crisis across the world, defending the value of codes and standards, and highlighting international efforts in emerging issues and trends in fire, electrical, and life safety.

 

This partnership will act as a testament to NFPA’s overall objective of increasing safety for people and property.

 

The General Directorate of Civil Defence also wants to benefit from best practices in this field to qualify its employees to rise to the international level and provide them with the opportunity to exchange experiences, data, and information for the benefit of all stakeholders, leaving a positive impact on everyone in this field, he stated. 

 

"We would like to express our honor to be part of the NFPA family and look forward to working together as a team," he added.-TradeArabia News Service