Hong Kong – CS reviews Fire Services passing-out parade

     The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, reviewed the Fire Services passing-out parade for 18 station officers, five ambulance officers, 70 firemen and 26 ambulancemen at the Fire and Ambulance Services Academy (FASA) today (October 21).

      

     Speaking at the parade, Mr Chan commended the Fire Services Department (FSD) for always fulfilling the prime mission of “Serving with courage, passion and commitment” with determination, and standing at the forefront to fight against the epidemic. Through flexible deployment of manpower and resources, as well as demonstration of strong teamwork, the FSD has coped with multiple emergencies and severe circumstances, especially during the peak of the fifth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

     Mr Chan said that the FSD has all along been striving for excellence in training its personnel over the years. The FASA has put in place state-of-the-art facilities with various scenario training venues. Moreover, the courses on foundation firefighting and paramedical training offered by the FASA have been recognised under the Qualifications Framework (QF). The FASA is also planning to apply for QF accreditation for the training courses for various specialised teams progressively.

     Mr Chan also remarked that the FSD has been proactively developing and applying new technologies with a view to enhancing the efficiency and safety of firefighting and rescue operations. In addition to the introduction of firefighting robots and the new generation of the unmanned aircraft system this year, the FSD developed the Patient Tagging System for Multiple Casualties Incidents to assist the ambulance personnel at incident scenes in quickly obtaining information including the number and condition of casualties. It can also facilitate the ambulance commander at scene in deploying resources and real-time communication with the Hospital Authority.

     Mr Chan added, “The FSD has all along been facilitating colleagues in strengthening their understanding and knowledge on national affairs, the Constitution, the Basic Law and the National Security Law through training and exchange activities, so as to safeguard national sovereignty, safety and development interests, as well as to ensure the steadfast and successful implementation of ‘one country, two systems'”. He also mentioned that the Fire & Ambulance Services Teen Connect, established by the FSD last year, helps to foster the positive thinking, law-abiding awareness and team spirit of youngsters, as well as to build up their sense of belonging to the country.

      

     The parade was followed by a demonstration of firefighting and rescue techniques by the graduates. The 119 graduates will be posted to various fire stations and ambulance depots.