KUWAIT: Officials are pictured during the opening ceremony of the 4th International Fire and Safety Conference and Expo. — Photos by Joseph Shagra

KUWAIT: Human resources present the power that actively moves development and prosperity, as it is the main pillar of development plans all over the world, an official said yesterday.

Human resources cannot be replaced by modern technology, as the human element is always necessary, said Lieutenant General Yousef Al-Ansari, Director General of Kuwait Fire Service Directorate (KFSD). "Our country always believed in this fact and became a developed country due to its people," he said.

Ansari made those statements during the opening ceremony of the 4th International Fire and Safety Conference and Expo on Tuesday. The event is organized by KFSD to highlight the importance of investing in human resources.

Fire academy

The event, running from March 1-3, 2016 at the Regency Hotel, includes many activities including workshops and lectures. The conference is accompanied with an exhibition for the sponsors and participating companies. This year's event also focuses on the importance of education and training. "We aim to establish a fire academy that welcomes participants from inside and outside Kuwait. This academy will be a regional center specialized in fire protection, and its curriculum is based on the latest technologies in this field. It should attract local and international experts from the field through regularly meeting with them," he added.

Kuwait plays a leading role in this field as KFSD held the first international training course on directing fire accidents and sea rescue. "This course was held in cooperation with the International Organization for Civil Protection and Civil Defense as a prelude to the founding of an International Training Center for Sea Safety. Twenty-five cadets from Arab, Asian, African and European countries in addition to Kuwait joined this course," said Ansari.

Human development

Major General Khaled Al-Turkeit, head of the organizing committee of the event, noted that KFSD aims through this conference and expo to actively participate in supporting human and social development by reviewing the best experiences and practices in the field of fire sciences and its curriculums. "We aim to build a work strategy that fits with international criteria. This will provide strong leaders and will as a result develop the country and its people," he stated.

KFSD has finished studying and developing the curriculum and education and training plan. "We focus on improving the level of the training center to become an accredited academy, specialized in fire sciences. This needs amendments in legislation to achieve this goal in human and social development," he added.

The conference focuses on various issues including achieving safety and security, importance of academic studies for firefighters and investing in human resources. "The participating companies, universities, and institutes will also present their programs and curriculums that are related to firefighting and rescue services," concluded Turkeit, thanking the sponsors and participants at the event.

By Nawara Fattahova