500 employees recently took part in an evaluation of du’s Emergency Contingency Plan on 19 December, which saw an emergency evacuation drill conducted in the company’s Dubai Media City headquarters. The evacuation cleared the 45-storey tower in cooperation with Dubai Civil Defence, Dubai Police, Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Services and TECOM.

The 45 minute emergency evacuation drill involved du’s emergency coordinators leading employees down flights of stairs to the ground floor, with a target time of 20 minutes from start to finish, the company was successful in evacuating within 15 minutes on 19 December.

du’s Emergency Contingency Plan includes Emergency Evacuation Procedures to be carried out in case of fire, medical or earthquake emergencies. The drills are to test the company’s readiness, and are related to the facility and training of staff in coordination with Dubai Civil Defence, Police and Ambulance Services.

Trained emergency coordinators are assigned to each team within the company, with the responsibility to liaise with employees to ensure a safe evacuation. In the lead-up to the drill, employees were briefed by du’s  Asset Management & Compliance Department, to guarantee a clear delivery of instructions and calm process.

In addition to conducting fire drills, du also offers First Aid, Fire Prevention and Emergency Responder training through its Health, Safety and Environment Department to ensure a safe working environment.