MAKKAH, 10 October 2007 — While the believers line up to break their fast with joy and expectation, the Operations Room of the Civil Defense in Makkah is tense with anxiety. They are anxious to ensure another day without tragic incidents.
As one of the officers there told Arab News yesterday, many accidents occur shortly before the time of fast-breaking (iftar) or eating the sahour (pre-dawn meal).
We entered the Operations Room of the Makkah Civil Defense just few minutes before iftar.
Maj. Majid Al-Jomaie, commander of the Operations Room, showed us around.
All the officials at the control room were engrossed in their duties. They would break their fast later, after everyone else has gone first, hopefully safely. The center was buzzing with activity. Men sat at consoles with earphones, jotting down incident reports and forwarding them to concerned authorities. “Most of the accident reports are fire-related at the time of fast-breaking,” said Staff Sgt. Abdullah Al-Karaimi, who has been in this office over the past 30 years.
Staff Sgt. Muhammad Aseeri said jokingly that all the fire incidents seem to take place at the same time.
“Sometimes we even miss our prayers, particularly in the last days of Ramadan and often we could break our fast only late in the night,” he said.
Staff Sgt. Abdul Rahman Al-Lihyani said everyone in the center is dedicated to making a safe Ramadan, no small task considering the traffic of pilgrims and the logistical challenges.
“Helping the people at the time when they needed it most is more important than eating,” he said.
Lt. Abdul Qadir Al-Hindi said that his family reluctantly accepts his duty at times; he’s on call at all hours during this high season in the holy city.
“We can’t afford to wait, we swing in to action,” he added.
