The UAE Government has taken safety measures up a notch by mandating Fire Suppression Systems on all school buses to ensure children’s safety as of 15 April 2025. It is an essential act, as about 500,000 children travel on 17,000 school buses daily. These systems will rapidly detect and extinguish engine fires, which is a critical advantage given the limited evacuation time on school buses. The increase in buses catching on fire not only endangers lives but also poses various challenges to public safety authorities and vehicle manufacturers.
The Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT) has announced that all school buses must now be equipped with fire suppression systems installed by approved providers. The education providers will enforce this requirement during annual inspections and registration. From 15 April, buses lacking a MoIAT certificate will not be permitted on the road, David Campbell, General Manager for Dubai Civil Defense Emirate’s Safety Laboratory, told Khaleej Times.
These regulations will not only be limited to school buses but to all buses to ensure the safety of all lives, whether single-deck, double-deck, rigid, or articulated vehicles, holding passenger capacities of 22, including drivers, all around the UAE.
David Campbell’s Statement on Fire Suppression System
When David Campbell was asked about possible future regulations, his response stated, “Currently, there are no official announcements regarding future regulations. However, there is potential for subsequent phases in which the mandatory installation of fire suppression systems could possibly extend to public, commercial, and private vehicles across the UAE, such as fixed and mobile cranes, freight vehicles, heavy earth-moving vehicles, lifting equipment, elevated platforms, military vehicles, and trains.”
He then assured, “ We will conduct annual audits of manufacturers and installers, while local transport authorities will verify that all systems are MoIAT-certified.”
Reacton Certified as First Approved Provider in UAE
Reacton (UK-based manufacturer operating in the UAE) is the first company approved by the Emirates Safety Laboratory for a reliable fire suppression system for school buses.
The CEO of Reacton Fire Suppression said, “Every parent should be delighted that the UAE has taken such a positive approach to Fire safety on school buses with the right suppression system equipment.”
Reacton Partnership with TABRA
Reacton has collaborated with TABRA, a provider of safety products for vehicles, to put these safety measures into action. CEO Sam Miles praised the UAE’s thoughtfulness in taking such safety measures for the country, advocating that these measures are obligatory for public safety. He explained the technology behind these safety tools: “Our automatic suppression systems are designed to detect and extinguish fire rapidly”.
He then concluded by saying, “To date, we have successfully installed over 2,500 systems, and we’ve already witnessed firsthand how one of these deployments prevented a potentially serious incident. This underscores the importance of our work.”
The General Manager of TABRA, Hassan Hijazi, pinpointed the company’s commitment to ensuring safety. He introduced that TARBA works diligently to ensure the proper and precise execution of installations. He further explained, “Our highly trained team conducts meticulous installations and regular checks to minimize vehicle downtime, ensuring safety is never compromised.”
Hassan Hijazi then indicated that school buses are an initial initiative, and that in the future, we can expect other vehicles to be equipped with fire suppression systems.
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