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So the impression we gathered was that we had a Government with a huge reserve but was it providing enough equipment to our fire services, so that they could do their job in a congested city like ours, especially when they are involved in high rise rescue operations? So are they properly equipped? Will that be included in the investigation, the review so that in future when there is a similar incident our fire services will be properly equipped to handle such an incident?
Governor: The honourable gentleman mentioned the scenes on television and of course, one reason why this tragedy will have made such an impact on so many people is because of those graphic pictures that people saw on television of people waiting to be rescued and of the brave operations of the fire services and others.
I think it's dangerous, and I'm glad the honourable member avoided the trap, I think it's dangerous for any of us until there's been a full investigation to jump to conclusions about operational issues about the availability of equipment and so on.
But let me make two points to the honourable member; the fire was reported, I'm advised. at 4.48 pm and the fire services were at the scene within three minutes. They sent in all 86 appliances and 460 firemen to the scene. In addition they provided 75 ambulances and 236 ambulancemen. I asked the Director of Fire Services, specifically, this morning whether they had enough equipment. enough appliances, on the spot and he believed that they had had enough on the spot. But obviously that is something which he will want to review and others will want to review when they look at the detail.
I can assure the honourable gentleman that if it's clear from this enquiry that we need to spend more on equipment, on appliances, then we will have no hesitation in doing so and I think I can speak with the authority of having the Financial Secretary next to me. You can't cut costs or cut corners when you're faced with a tragedy like this.
Can I add something that I should've said when I was asked a question, quite properly, by the Chairman of the House Committee. The Chairman represents the medical functional constituency and I saw many of his members, some of whom I'm sure voted for him, some of whom may not have voted for him, working last night. I'd seen similar scenes after the tragedy involving the children at Sha Tin a few months ago. I didn't, ah, the honourable gentleman has left. I didn't stay long enough to get in the way of those who were seeking to bandage the injured, to give them the initial cosmetic care they needed for burns or certainly to get in the way of those who were working very hard in the intensive care unit, but every honourable member, the honourable member saw it for himself as well, every honourable member who'd been in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital last night and I'm sure the same was true in Kwong Wah and elsewhere, would have been very impressed by the number of those working, by their dedication and hard work, by their energy and professionalism. We have, in Hong Kong, a medical service of which we can be very proud.