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Public Order

The Licensing and Certification Command formulates and enforces fire safety policies and regulations. The command supports the government's 'Be the Smart Regulator' Programme to improve business friendliness, efficiency and transparency without compromising fire safety. It also takes enforcement action against fire hazards in licensed/registered premises to enhance public fire safety.

The Fire Service Installations Task Force monitors the status of FSI in all buildings and continues to strengthen public awareness of the need to maintain FSI in efficient working order. In 2014, 104,853 FSI inspections were made by the Task Force and 2,427 Fire Hazard Abatement Notices were issued. Legal action was taken against 12 owners of defective FSI and seven FSI contractors for regulatory contraventions.

Appliances and Equipment

The department has 1,002 fire appliances, ambulances and supporting vehicles and 21 fireboats to provide fire-fighting, rescue and emergency ambulance services.

New Development

The department continues to plan and build fire stations and ambulance depots to cope with the city's continuing development and growing service needs, and to adhere to the government's policy of providing the fastest response possible to emergencies. A new ambulance depot at Choi Shun Street, Sheung Shui, is under construction and is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2015.

The Fire Services Training School in Pat Heung has been in use since 1968. To meet advances in technology and fire-fighting and rescue techniques, construction of the new Fire and Ambulance Services Academy at Pak Shing Kok, Tseung Kwan O, is under way and is scheduled for completion in late 2015.

Public Liaison Group

A public liaison group comprising 30 members of the public from different walks of life, appointed annually, encourages public participation in monitoring and improving the delivery of emergency fire and ambulance services.

Government Flying Service

The Government Flying Service (GFS) provides a wide range of flying services, including round- the-clock search and rescue coverage, casualty and medical evacuation, fire fighting and support for other government departments.

The GFS has 173 disciplined and 56 civilian staff members, and a fleet of four fixed-wing aircraft and seven helicopters. In 2014, it flew a total of 6,490 hours, assisted in 567 search and rescue operations and transported 1,968 people to hospitals by helicopters.

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