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The Secretary for Justice, Mr Rimsky Yuen, SC, today (April 1) reviewed a passing-out parade for 74 firemen and 45 ambulancemen at the Fire and Ambulance Services Academy.
Speaking at the parade, Mr Yuen commended the fire and ambulance personnel for rising to the challenge in providing round-the-clock services to the community.
"You all will be deployed to the front line after today. What you will be doing is not just a job. It is a commitment of serving the community and protecting the life and property of the public. This is a huge responsibility with great challenges, yet very meaningful," Mr Yuen said.
Mr Yuen pointed out that the Fire Services Department (FSD) received a total of over 817 000 calls for fire services, special services and emergency ambulance services last year - an average of 2 200 calls each day. Furthermore, the department conducted over 500 000 inspections in relation to fire service installations, means of escape, ventilation systems, handling of dangerous goods and licensed premises in 2014 in which a total of 6 200 Fire Hazard Abatement Notices were issued and about 400 prosecutions were instituted.
Regarding ambulance services, the department has been providing post-dispatch advice on six types of common injuries for emergency ambulance calls since 2011. The advice enables patients to obtain appropriate immediate treatment prior to the arrival of an ambulance crew and reduces the chances of a condition getting worse. In 2014, the FSD provided post-dispatch advice for callers more than 9 000 times.
Mr Yuen said that construction works for the new Fire and Ambulance Services Academy at Pak Shing Kok, Tseung Kwan O, are under way and the project is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of this year. The new premises will be well equipped to accommodate 530 fire and ambulance trainees for residential training at the same time. The new academy premises will provide trainees with more opportunities to receive training together, thereby enhancing their ability to co-ordinate and respond to disasters.
The parade was followed by a demonstration of fire-fighting and rescue techniques by the graduates. The graduates have successfully completed 26 weeks of training and will be posted to various fire stations and ambulance depots for on-the-job training to gain field experience.
Ends/Wednesday, April 1, 2015
Issued at HKT 17:48
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