PUBLIC ORDER
The Hospital Authority took over non-emergency ambulance services for the Hong Kong Island region in March and the Kowloon region in May. The authority will take over such services in the New Territories region in April 1995.
Communications
The centralised Fire Services Communications Centre, manned round-the-clock, is equipped with an up-to-date computerised system linked to all fire stations, ambulance depots, fire appliances and ambulances. This system helps mobilise fire-fighting and ambulance resources for fire, rescue and emergency operations more efficiently and effectively, to meet the department's target response times. The department aims to respond to fire calls within six minutes in built-up areas and to ambulance calls within 10 minutes. In 1994, 90 per cent of fire calls to structural fires and 91.7 per cent of all emergency ambulance calls were met within the prescribed graded response time, as against the targets of 90 per cent and 93.5 per cent, respectively.
Plans are in hand to improve the department's existing radio network system, which has suffered serious interference from neighbouring cities and from illegal radio operators locally. A new Trunked Radio System, costing $69.5 million and which can utilise a group of radio channels to be shared among officers, will be installed and become operational in late 1996.
Fire Prevention
The department is responsible for formulating and enforcing fire safety regulations and policies, as well as assisting and advising the public on fire protection measures and the abatement of fire hazards.
To cope with the continuing development of the territory and the ever-increasing number of high-rise buildings, the Fire Protection Bureau places great emphasis on public education on fire prevention. A campaign to promote fire prevention education in schools was launched at the end of the year. With the help of the Education Department and sponsorship from a local bank, the bureau produced 2 100 sets of a teaching kit for distribution to all primary schools.
Students are encouraged to convey a positive message to their families. In addition, fire officers gave 567 fire prevention talks to 21 861 people from different sectors of the community. These talks were supplemented by exhibitions and demonstrations.
The number of fire hazard complaints totalled 4 898, indicating a growing public concern over fire safety and an increasing awareness of the services provided by the department.
Officers of the bureau inspected 84 953 premises of all types during the year to ensure fire prevention measures met the required standards and to enhance public awareness of fire safety.
A total of 5 400 abatement notices were issued for the removal of fire hazards. There were 112 prosecutions in cases of non-compliance, resulting in the levying of fines totalling $500,000. In addition, prosecutions for obstructing the means of escape in buildings resulted in 95 convictions, with total fines of $400,000.
The department also imposes fire service requirements for new buildings, to ensure compliance with fire safety standards. Some 7 560 submissions of building plans, including plans for the new airport-related projects, were processed during the year.
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