Interior Minister Prince Muhammad bin Naif has ordered that the World Civil Defense Day be celebrated in all provinces in the Kingdom today.

“More than 500 events including civil defense exhibitions and firefighting equipment displays, even the old machines dating back to 1960, will be displayed in the exhibitions organized as part of the Civil Defense Day celebrations,” Director Gen of Civil Defense Lt. Gen. Saad Al-Tuwaijeri, said in a statement yesterday. The theme of the day this year is “community participation in civil defense.”

The theme, to be celebrated throughout the month, will stress the cooperation of the community with the Civil Defense Department in rescue operations and in taking preventive measures against accidents.

The events also include dramas for schoolchildren in Riyadh on the theme of civil defense operations and safety awareness.

Singers and media personalities will attend the events, he said. More than 80 electronic screens will display messages at major roads and commercial centers in all cities and governorates. Awareness booklets and fliers will be distributed in different languages, he said.

Also on display as part of the celebrations are model houses and buildings that have all the latest safety devices designed to stem domestic accidents. As part of the celebration, month-long visits by civil defense teams to schools, universities and companies will be organized. The signing of the cooperation agreements for awareness activities for public safety and training programs to improve the skills of civil defense personnel will also be organized, he said.

Several programs have been set up for the people with special needs. Films have also been produced in sign language targeting people with impaired hearing, he said.

A number of meetings in institutions run by charitable organizations for the disabled have also been planned.