ENG-2002 — Page 400

PUBLIC ORDER

332

a Dangerous Goods Division was set up under the Licensing and Certification Command through redeployment of resources. The ordinance and its subsidiary legislation, which is under preparation, are aimed at improving the control of dangerous goods in line with international standards. The Fire Safety (Buildings) Ordinance, which seeks to improve the fire safety standards of pre-1987 composite and domestic buildings, was enacted on July 3. Pending implementation of the new law, the Buildings Improvement and Support Division continues to inspect old private composite and domestic buildings with a view to enhancing fire safety and advising owners and occupiers concerned on the improved standards to be required.

In order to enhance the quality of emergency services, the department has completed a consultancy study on the further development of the paramedic ambulance service. Plans are being implemented to provide paramedic ambulance care on all ambulances by 2005.

Fire Suppression

Of the 41 204 fire calls received in 2002, nine were classified as major fires of No. 3 alarm. Careless handling or disposal of smoking materials was still the major cause of fires, totalling 2 976 cases in all, followed by accidents involving the preparation of foodstuffs and electrical faults, which accounted for 2689 and 1007 cases, respectively. Unwanted alarms, caused mainly by faulty automatic alarm systems or poor positioning of such systems, .contributed to about 66.9 per cent of the total number of fire calls.

In 2002, fires claimed 25 lives and 515 persons, including 36 Fire Services members, were injured. Fire Services personnel rescued 3 422 people. There were two notable fires during the year. One was a No. 3 alarm fire on September 15 in an enclosed five-storey pre-war building in Central, which was suppressed by firemen in 32 hours. The other was a No. 3 alarm fire arising from a gas leakage and explosion on October 30 in Wong Tai Sin; three people died and 21 others, including 13 Fire Services members, were injured.

Special Services

The department also provides a wide range of rescue services in incidents such as traffic accidents, people trapped in lifts or locked in rooms, gas leakages, house collapses, flooding, landslides, industrial accidents and attempts by people to jump from a height. The department handled 20 413 emergency special service calls in 2002. Among the major incidents was a collision between two vessels near the Kap Shui Mun Bridge on March 12; one of the vessels sank, and of its crew one was killed, seven were missing and seven were rescued. In another major incident, on March 15, 102 people were injured in an accident involving four coaches travelling on the Tsing Kwai Highway.

Ambulance Services

The demand for emergency ambulance services continued to rise. During the year, ambulances responded to 505 980 emergency calls, representing an increase of 4.4 per cent compared with 2001.

A 12-minute response time has been adopted as the performance indicator for emergency ambulance services since November 1998. About half of the ambulance fleet has been equipped and manned at the paramedic level. All ambulances and