A woman was saved by Dubai Police after she managed to place a desperate emergency call at 3:30am. The caller, who spoke in Arabic, provided only a few fragmented words before the line went silent. She managed to state, “Brother, I’m at the intersection…” in a faint, broken voice before losing the ability to communicate further.
The emergency operator answered the call within three seconds and immediately recognized the urgency of the situation. Despite repeated attempts to gather more information, the operator heard only weak groans before the line fell completely silent. Recognizing the potential for a medical emergency, the operator utilized the force’s emergency call location system to trace the phone’s signal to the Nad Al Sheba area, near Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road.
While coordinating the search, the operator checked the police database for any record of the caller having a critical medical condition, though no such file existed. Patrols were immediately dispatched to the area, with a specific focus on access points near the highway. The operator maintained the active call, listening for any ambient sounds that might assist the responding officers.
Within minutes, a patrol unit discovered a locked vehicle parked in a sandy area away from the main road. As officers knocked on the windows, the operator could hear the sounds through the open line. A rescue team was quickly deployed to the site, where they successfully opened the vehicle and reached the unconscious woman. Medical authorities later determined that she had suffered a severe drop in blood sugar.
The incident, which is featured in Lieutenant General Dhahi Khalfan Tamim’s book, ‘Operations Management in Critical Incidents, Crises and Disasters,’ concluded with a personal follow-up from the Lieutenant General, who checked on the woman’s condition at the hospital. The survivor later expressed her gratitude to the team, stating, “You arrived so quickly and saved me from death.”
Following the rescue, Dubai Police have urged residents with serious health conditions to register their details with the force’s critical medical cases program. This database allows emergency responders to access vital health information instantly during life-threatening situations, potentially reducing response times.
This rescue highlights the force’s reliance on advanced technology to manage emergencies where callers cannot explain their surroundings. A similar instance involved Abdullah Bourguiba, who, while located 3,600km away in Kazan, Russia, used the Dubai Police ‘Your Security at the Touch of a Button’ application to request urgent help for an Al Wasl Sports Club player requiring emergency surgery.
In that case, Dubai Police successfully coordinated with local UAE authorities to ensure the player received immediate medical treatment. The SOS feature within the Dubai Police smart application is specifically designed for such scenarios, allowing users to transmit a distress alert and precise GPS coordinates directly to the Command and Control Centre.
This service remains a cornerstone of the General Directorate of Operations’ strategy to provide rapid assistance to individuals who are unable to communicate their location or circumstances during an emergency.
It was 3.30am when an woman called Dubai Police’s Operations Room with just a few desperate words, spoken in Arabic.
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Without wasting time, he alerted all nearby patrols, instructing them to search the area, with particular focus on entrances leading off Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road.
At the same time, he kept the emergency call connected in an effort to monitor any signs from the caller.
Azza Al Ali is a reporter from Ras Al Khaimah, dedicated to sharing stories that bring the community’s voices to life.
She’s passionate about connecting with people and highlighting what truly matters to them.
Source: Khaleej Times
