PA CIVIL DEFENSE WORKS TO IMPROVE EMERGENCY

C O N F I D E N T I A L JERUSALEM 001448 SIPDIS NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE AND IPA, NSC FOR ABRAMS/PASCUAL/SINGH E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/07/2018 TAGS: KWBG IS PINR PREL PGOV SUBJECT: PA CIVIL DEFENSE WORKS TO IMPROVE EMERGENCY RESPONSE, DISASTER PREPAREDNESS Classified By: Consul General Jake Walles, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Summary. Palestinian Authority (PA) Civil Defense Chief MG Ibrahim Atiani said his priorities are improving building code enforcement and safety inspections and decreasing emergency response times. He said cooperation with Israeli civil defense authorities is generally excellent, with joint exercises and extensive information-sharing. His main grievance is with access/movement restrictions that increase fire and ambulance response times. Civil Defense personnel are integrated into PA security forces' planning exercises and often sit in security operations rooms. Bio Note at para 5. End summary. Civil Defense Mission and Priorities -------------- ¶2. (SBU) At an August 6 meeting in Ramallah, PA Civil Defense Chief Atiani told PolOff that the Civil Defense Directorate has two branches (Prevention/Inspections and Incident Response) with 23 West Bank centers, about 500 employees and 2000 volunteers. The Prevention/Inspection branch's priorities are improving enforcement of building safety codes (especially for earthquake preparedness) and ensuring proper workmanship and licensing for natural gas piping and fixtures and petroleum transport agents. He said Civil Defense offices have conducted evacuation drills at 24 schools, and he wants to increase awareness of student and women's groups of fire hazards and disaster preparedness. On the Incident Response side, Atiani said the Directorate is working to reduce emergency response time from the current 25-30 minutes to the internationally-mandated 7-10 minutes. He said the Civil Defense has a strong and collaborative relationship with the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, which manages most hospital and inter-city transport of patients. GOI Coordination and Obstacles -------------- ¶3. (C) Atiani said cooperation with Israeli civil defense authorities is generally excellent, with joint exercises planned with the GOI, and Israeli offices sharing seismological data from Jordan Valley earthquakes and other disaster warnings. He said the Israeli civil defense infrastructure is far more advanced than the PA's, and the PA thus seeks to absorb Israeli counterparts' skills in crisis planning and emergency response/rescue. Atiani said the principal irritant with Israeli authorities is obstacles to access and movement that greatly increase fire and ambulance response times outside of Palestinian city centers. He said the IDF has fired on two Civil Defense vehicles that were responding to emergency calls during IDF-imposed curfews, undermining trust between the two sides. Positive Cooperation with PA Security -------------- ¶4. (SBU) MG Atiani said the Civil Defense are integrated into PA security forces' (PASF) planning exercises and often sit in security operations rooms. He said a July crisis management workshop in Washington, funded by the Department's Anti-Terrorism Assistance (ATA) office was an excellent opportunity to practice joint planning with other PASF. Bio Note -------------- ¶5. (C) MG Ibrahim Y. S. Atiani (aka Saqir Mujahid, or Abu Samr),a Fatah member, has been head of PA Civil Defense since early 2005 (replacing the retired Abd al-Hai Abd al-Wahid). He was previously head of the police special units under former PA police chiefs Sa'eb al-Ajz and Ala'a Husni Rabayah, and had been a senior PA police officer since the return of PLO forces to the West Bank in 1995. His estimated DOB is 1950. He has a skin pigmentation problem and his eyes are sensitive to light. Atiani speaks limited, halting English. His principal deputies as of August 2008 include Disaster Management Director Dr. Jawhar Y. Sayij and Chief Engineer Sami Hamdan. WALLES