Public Order | 335
A public consultation on a proposal to implement a Medical Priority Dispatch System in Hong Kong to improve emergency ambulance service by providing quicker response to patients in critical or life threatening condition has shown that most people in Hong Kong support the idea. The Government will consider the views of the public and the Legislative Council when studying the FSD's long-term plan and way forward.
The department continues to train front-line firemen to become first responders to provide basic life-saving support to casualties and patients while ambulance crews are on their way to the scene. During the year, first responders dealt with 49 451
cases.
Communications
The Fire Services Communications Centre, manned round the clock, is responsible for mobilising all fire-fighting and ambulance resources to provide timely fire and ambulance services to the community. The centre is also responsible for receiving complaints about fire hazards and dangerous goods. It acts as an emergency co-ordinator for other government departments and public utilities during large-scale emergencies or major calamities.
The centre is equipped with the Third Generation Mobilising System to enhance the efficiency of mobilising fire and ambulance resources.
Fire Safety
The Fire Safety Command draws up fire safety policies and formulates fire safety measures for buildings and mass transit systems. It also devotes much of its efforts to upgrading arrangements and procedures to protect old buildings from fire and to raise people's awareness of fire safety.
The command's two Building
two Building Improvement Divisions are responsible for enforcing the Fire Safety (Commercial Premises) Ordinance and the Fire safety (Buildings) Ordinance to investigate reports of building fire risks. A Special Enforcement Unit conducts inspections of old buildings and takes enforcement actions against irregularities.
To enhance public awareness of the importance of fire safety in buildings, a Building Fire Safety Envoy Scheme was launched to train owners or occupiers of buildings and staff of property management companies to become envoys to help promote fire safety in buildings. At the end of 2010, a total of 828 envoys were trained.
The New Projects Division, in co-operation with the Buildings Department and other departments, is responsible for vetting new and amended building plans including those for the mass transit system, tunnels, bridges and the airport. It also defines the fire protection needs of certain premises. In 2010, the division vetted a total of 12 821 buildings plans.
The Railway Development Strategy Division scrutinises the fire safety. requirements of new railway infrastructure projects. It also carries out acceptance