330 Public Order
1 889 outbreaks. Electrical faults accounted for 759. False alarms, caused mainly by faulty alarm systems or poor positioning of such systems, contributed to about 66 per cent of the total number of fire calls.
The department also provides a wide range of rescue services for mishaps such. as traffic accidents, people trapped in lifts or locked in rooms, gas leaks, house collapses, flooding, landslides, industrial accidents and attempts by people to jump from heights. The department handled 21 383 special service calls in 2006.
Ambulance Services
The Ambulance Command handled 575 666 calls during the year, or 1 577 calls per day. Its fleet of ambulances is fully equipped and manned at paramedic level.
The department continues to train front-line firemen to become first responders. to provide basic life saving support to casualties and patients ahead of the arrival of ambulance crews. During the year, first responders dealt with 25 223 cases in which people needed urgent help.
Communications
The Fire Services Communications Centre, manned round the clock, is responsible for mobilising all fire-fighting and ambulance resources to provide efficient and effective 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 coordinator for other government departments and public utilities during large-scale emergencies or major calamities.
The centre fully migrated to a sophisticated telecommunication and computer integrated mobilising system the Third Generation Mobilising System 2005 to improve the efficiency of fire-fighting and rescue operations.
Fire Safety
in June
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 fires and to sharpen people's awareness of fire safety.
The Commercial Buildings and Premises Division enforces the Fire Safety (Commercial Premises) Ordinance with the aim of upgrading fire safety measures in prescribed commercial premises and specified commercial buildings. A total of 10 613 building inspections were conducted in 2006. As a result, 823 Fire Safety Directions and 4 766 Fire Safety Improvement Directions were issued to 5 589 owners or occupiers of these premises and buildings.
Pending implementation of the Fire Safety (Buildings) Ordinance, the Building Improvement and Support Division continues to inspect composite buildings built between the 1973 and 1987 to improve fire safety in those buildings and to advise owners and occupiers on ways to better protect their buildings.
A Building Safety Loan Scheme, administered by the Director of Buildings, has also been established to provide financial assistance to owners to carry out building
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.