An overseas Filipino worker in Dubai took to social media to commend the exceptional emergency response in the emirate after witnessing a traffic accident in Deira. The incident occurred while Filipino filmmaker and director of photography Patrick Fronda was shooting for a client at a restaurant near the Centurion Building, close to the Day to Day shop. The quick and efficient response from Dubai authorities left him impressed and reassured.
Fronda shared in a Facebook post that he witnessed a passenger being hit by a taxi while getting out, resulting in the passenger’s foot being run over. Acting swiftly, Fronda dialed the emergency hotline 911 at 10:17 a.m., unsure of what to expect as it was his first time calling for emergency services in Dubai. Within moments, he received a call from Dubai Ambulance and soon saw help arrive at the scene.
“Kanina habang papunta sa shoot, naka-witness kami ng accident involving taxi and passenger. Nagulungan niya yung paa habang bumaba sa taxi, walang tumutulong that time so bumaba ako at first time kong tumawag sa 911. Ganun pala yun sobrang impressive ang response. Pagka-dial ko, 2 rings lang sinagot agad nila. After less than 5 minutes, first respondents arrived as in wow… then sunod-sunod na yung ring sa phone ko, tumawag din police para alamin exact location, sobrang galing lang talaga ng govt dito,” Fronda shared in a public Facebook post.
In an interview with The Global Filipino Magazine, Fronda detailed the incident, describing how he had difficulty explaining the exact location at first. “Nangyari sa may Day to Day shop sa may Centurion Building sa Deira, may shoot kasi sa restaurant. Nasa tabi namin yung nasagasaan,” he explained.
“Tapos tumawag ako, di kami nagkakaintindihan kasi sabi ko nandito ako sa Somewhere in Deira, tapos sabi Deira is big. Sabi ko Somewhere Hotel, tapos alam na nila kung saan. Within three minutes nandoon na. Gulat ako eh,” he said.
He recounted how a small emergency response vehicle arrived first to administer first aid, followed by a larger ambulance and police officers who halted traffic and secured the scene. Fronda highlighted the speed and professionalism of the response: “Pero ang galing kasi kakatawag ko lang ng 911. Di ko nga alam kung ano yung 911, basta tumawag lang ako sa 911 tapos pagkatawag ko, dalawang ring, sumagot kaagad. Wala nang ‘What’s your name?’ wala nang ganung tanong-tanong, tanong agad ‘What happened?’”
Dubai’s emergency response efficiency is supported by official statistics. According to Gulf News, in the third quarter of 2023, Dubai Police reported an average emergency response time of 2 minutes and 24 seconds, a significant milestone in maintaining safety standards in the city. Similarly, the Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Services recorded an average response time of 7.5 minutes in 2023, improving by 13% from the previous year.
