ENG-2001 — Page 415

PUBLIC ORDER

reports for management and control; and on-line information sharing among all divisions of the Licensing and Certification and Fire Safety Commands, Regional Fire Command Headquarters and the Fire Services Communication Centre.

Appliances and Equipment

The department in 2001 operated 779 fire appliances and supporting vehicles fitted with up-to-date fire fighting and rescue equipment. Equipment procured during the year, to replace older appliances or to augment the existing fleet, included one 53- metre aerial ladder platform, one large hydraulic platform, eight hydraulic platforms, nine major pumps, two rapid intervention vehicles, one hose foam carrier, three light rescue units, two diving tenders, two fire motorcycles and two mini fire/rescue trucks. The construction of a modernised and high-performance fireboat was completed. The new fireboat will replace the Alexander Grantham as the flagship in 2002. A diving support vessel, scheduled to be commissioned by the end of 2002, is under construction. Upon commissioning, it will greatly enhance the efficiency of the diving teams in underwater search and rescue operations.

Stuff Training

The Fire Services Training School organises a 26-week initial training programme for new recruits. The programme covers basic fire-fighting techniques, compartment fire behaviour training, operation of fire appliances and equipment, breathing apparatus, ambulance aid and physical training. Subjects on fire protection, legislation, physics and science of combustion are also included.

Altogether, 133 recruits comprising 25 Station Officers and 108 firemen successfully completed initial training during the year. Moreover, a total of 2 847 in-service members have attended continuation training courses, compartment fire behaviour training courses and special rescue squad training courses.

Apart from providing basic initial training for new recruits, the school has provided training courses for 1 112 staff of other government departments and private organisations in basic fire-fighting techniques and the use of breathing apparatus. Besides, 5 507 members of the public have visited the school.

The Ambulance Command Training School provides a 24-week basic training programme for recruit ambulancemen on ambulance aid, anatomy and physiology, mountain rescue and physical training; cardiac-pulmonary resuscitation training for the staff of homes for the elderly, schools, community organisations and other government departments; and paramedic training at Emergency Medical Assistant (EMA) II level to ambulance personnel. Paramedic training covers patient assessment, intravenous fluid therapy, defibrillation, intubation and administration of selected drugs. By the end of 2001, 381 ambulance personnel were qualified at EMAII level. To cope with the increase in demand for emergency ambulance services, the school trained 50 new recruits and ran 58 refresher and recertification courses for 706 ambulance personnel in 2001.

In-service training was provided to 2 984 fire and 1 894 ambulance personnel, while 44 officers were selected to attend various training programmes in the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, Canada and the Mainland. The department recruited and appointed 27 Station Officers, 71 firemen/firewomen and 63 ambulancemen/ambulancewomen during the year.

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