Dubai Police has taken a pioneering experience in forming the first women's maritime boat team in the Middle East, with the aim of empowering and building the capabilities of women in maritime security and safety by qualifying them to lead maritime boats, after undergoing an advanced training program according to the capabilities available at the Ports Police Station.
The members of the team, in an interview with «Emirates Today», revealed the irony and difficult challenges faced the launch of the first team of its kind, most notably that members of the team, which includes 11 police and military police, were ignorant of swimming from the ground up, to launch the name «World Drowning Day »On their first experience in the sea within the training program, in addition to not accustomed to the difficult exercises and tests related to the nature of work, but they finally proved great efficiency and overcome all challenges, to form a team that plays a key role in the performance of specific tasks can only be performed by women only .
The Director of the Ports Police Station, Colonel Saeed Al-Madhani, said that the initiative was motivated to meet the needs of the community in some women's maritime activities, such as securing Al-Mamzar beaches in the days reserved for women, and other events, pointing out that once the initiative was announced the center found a great response from various Female elements of the Dubai Police, which encouraged us to develop the program.
He added that the beginning was with interviews with the advanced elements, and the selection of those who have the potential of psychologically and physically fit, and have the full desire to take up this challenge, then a medical examination was conducted to test their fitness, and after selecting the group that formed the nucleus of the first team of its kind, the training courses started at the hands Professional trainers with long experience in maritime security and rescue.
For her part, said a member of the Women's Police Council, which oversees the rehabilitation of the women's team, Captain Atika al-Dhaheri, that 30 girls were nominated for the programs, and rehabilitation and training of 11 of them, within a training program lasted for nearly three months, adding that the qualifying session included the theoretical and practical aspects, and included programs Several courses include: swimming course, maritime safety, first aid, naval boat driving, marine patrol crew procedures, use of TETRA devices, as well as water cycle driving course.
The team member, Arif Al-Anoud Hussein Saleh, a wife and mother, said that she simply could not swim and was very afraid of the idea. Joining the team means being in the sea continuously, and even participating in the rescue operations. She decides with the encouragement of her family and children.
"I don't have a driver's license, but now I have a driver's license," Al-Anoud said, which she once considered a fantasy, pointing out that the most difficult situation she faced when asked to jump into the sea, after receiving the instructions of the coach and undergone some training on Swimming.
"I was afraid of drowning and dying, but honestly, I found all the support from my teammates who encouraged me so that I could swim skillfully now, and enjoy the time I spend at sea while doing our assignments with the team."
The only civilian in the team, Aisha Al Obaidli, who works at the General Directorate of Excellence and Leadership in Dubai Police, said it is a completely different experience for her as a civilian, unlike her teammates, stressing that it was a big challenge, but it has overcome all odds thanks to the support of the ports police station, A beautiful spirit that dominated the training atmosphere with her colleagues in the arts of swimming, diving, rescue and first aid.
Al-Obaidli expressed her pride in being among the first team to lead the maritime boats, pointing out that saving the life of a person represents a great human value, pointing out that she became familiar with the necessary procedures starting from receiving the communication, then measuring the accounts of the atmosphere, noting that she and her colleagues had a live experience by throwing one of them At sea and the rest worked to save it.
The first day of landing, the trainers called it "World Drowning Day," was a tinder that some of them did not know how to swim, but it passed nicely and ended with a swim obstacle.
Arif Khawla Darwish al-Amri says she works in the customer service sector at the ports police station.He was completely unaware of swimming before joining the program, but she is now familiar with it.He has a driver's license or a boat, while she does not have a driver's license.
"This challenge has created a double sense of responsibility and ability to endure difficulties, and has had a profound impact on my personality and my dealings with things. The sea teaches a lot, and securing and saving lives enhances my sense of self-confidence and respect for others," she said. She is engaged in special tasks and is familiar with how to liberate maritime offenses and monitor abuses.
Sergeant Shamsa Musabbeh Matar Al Dhaheri says she has been working in an administrative position since joining Dubai Police, and now officially has an administrative name called a boat commander, the first policeman in the maritime security department, and serves as the backbone of the team, because she is the only one in the team that changed. After years of office work, she has become a professional in a challenging field work with many challenges.
She adds that women usually have special interests, and are keen on feminine things, such as skin color and other, but no longer cared much about it, after trying a different life involving many challenges and excitement, pointing out that her mother was refused at first because she is afraid of them, and has always She prevented her from swimming in the sea and only swimming in the ponds, but she convinced her to do so and now can not imagine her life without it, noting that she has the ability to operate drones, and obtained a license to do so, so that they can be used in the case of inability to reach the boat to a place What, they use the drone, and shared with a colleague She covered a number of events, some at the Ladies Marine Club.
Corporal Taiba Abbas Mohammed represents a different model from her predecessors. Her grandfather worked for her parents according to the Nokhatha profession, so she lived the sea experience early and learned to swim. Then she joined Dubai Police in the General Directorate of Services and Supplies. It accepted to be part of this wonderful team, assuring that it would be the nucleus of an important project in this area.
Tiba Abbas Mohammed says that her departure with the team does not interfere with her main work, pointing out that she participated in practical tasks without leaving her main job, and can combine them with flexibility for her passion for the exercise of two different jobs.
She pointed out that the team members got six different certificates after passing the courses, and passed difficult experiences, including driving the cruiser in the dark, and refueled, and used radar, stressing that they all have expertise and know how to lead boats, security and maritime safety, and the use of various equipment such as transceiver «Tetra device».
She says she has a great desire and passion to participate in boat races within the police team, pointing out that she fell from a sea bike during her work with the team and has a great love for adventure.
Courses in swimming, first aid and driving visitors s
The Director of Ports Police Station, Colonel Saeed Al-Madhani, explained that the program includes basic courses in swimming, then the course of maritime safety and navigation, first aid, and driving boats, stressing that these skills are not easy at all, but the team members showed great commitment and efficiency in receiving information, The team includes 11 Dubai Police cadres, both military and civilian.
He stressed that it is wonderful that these cadres have experience in the investigation of maritime accidents and familiarity with areas of competence, and read the coordinates of the maritime, pointing out that there is a plan to hone their skills regularly, and include new members with the ability and desire to fight this difficult flood.
- Members of the team .. From the lack of proficiency to swim to rescue professionals.
- Launching the first experience of the team at sea.