326 Public Order
The department responded to 35 771 fire calls, 25 069 special service calls and 659 289 ambulance calls in 2009.
Fire-fighting and Rescue
Of the 35 771 fire calls received in 2009, 10 were classified as major fires of No.3 alarm and above. Careless handling or disposal of lighted materials was the major cause of fires in 2009, accounting for a total of 2010 fires, accidents occurring during the preparation of foodstuffs caused 1 738 fires, while electrical faults caused 763 fires. False alarms, triggered mainly by faulty automatic alarm systems contributed to about 71 per cent of the total number of fire calls.
The department also provides a wide range of rescue services for incidents such as traffic accidents, shipwrecks, 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 25 069 of such special service calls in 2009.
Ambulance Services
The Ambulance Command handled 659 289 calls during the year, or an average 1 806 calls per day.
The department's ambulance fleet is fully equipped and manned at paramedic level. All emergency ambulances and emergency medical assistant motorcycles are equipped with automated defibrillators and selected drugs for illness such as diabetes, shock, heart attack, shortness of breath and drug overdose.
The Government conducted a four-month public consultation between July and November 2009 on a proposal to implement a Medical Priority Dispatch System (MPDS) in Hong Kong to improve emergency ambulance services by providing quicker response to patients in critical or life threatening conditions.
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 making their way to the scene. During the year, first responders dealt with 43 619 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.
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