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About 300 fire and ambulance professionals from 10 countries and regions are taking part in the Fire Asia 2012 international conference being held in Hong Kong.
Officiating this morning (February 8) at the opening ceremony of the three-day conference were the Secretary for Security, Mr Ambrose SK Lee, and the Director of Fire Services, Mr Chan Chor-kam.
Mr Chan said the conference has attracted a large number of renowned professionals, academics and practitioners in fire services, paramedic ambulance services, building services and related areas of specialisation from all over the world to participate.
He said, "The participants will put forth innovative ideas from research and experiments and exchange views on validated practices and procedures, and share valuable knowledge and experience. All of this will bring us closer to our common goal of building a safer and better world.
"It is the mission of the Hong Kong Fire Services Department to protect the lives and property of our people from fire and other calamities. We are committed to enhancing our fire-fighting and rescue capabilities while keeping abreast of the latest developments in fire safety, rescue and ambulance services in the world to enable us to carry out our mission more effectively.
"We strongly believe that the Fire Asia 2012 Conference will help us achieve our objective while bringing new safety solutions to the world."
The first Fire Asia international conference was held in Hong Kong in 1987. The event serves as a unique platform for exchange of professional knowledge among emergency service professionals, fire engineers, consultants, architects and designers of fire safety systems.
Fire Asia 2012 Conference, being held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, carries the theme "New Horizons for a Safer Society", which covers various topics including disaster management, fire-fighting and rescue in high-rise buildings, emergency preparedness and response, and the latest developments in emergency ambulance services.
Ends/Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Issued at HKT 17:21
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