The Hong Kong Fire Services Department (FSD) shoulders the responsibilities of fighting fires and carrying out rescue operations. In addition to sincerely serving every citizen with compassion, the FSD also strives to improve communication with people from all walks of life.

Emergency preparedness with care and compassion

Regardless of the identity of the callers or the type of assistance required, the staff from the FSD professional teams serve them in an equal and dedicated fashion. The Fire Services Communications Centre operates day and night, and whenever a fire alarm or casualty report is received, the FSD will deploy manpower and equipment to the scene as soon as possible to carry out rescue work. The Centre receives numerous calls each day, and most cases are very urgent. The staff not only need to collect case related information in the shortest time, but also need to provide appropriate counselling to keep the callers calm and to avoid further deterioration of the situation.

The ambulance crews treat many injured people every day, and showing them compassion and concern is as important as treating the injuries. Therefore, the FSD focuses on not only the efficiency of rescues but also the quality of services. Through various in-house training programmes and activities, the FSD encourages the frontline staff to serve the public wholeheartedly.

As much of rescue work is very challenging and places great demands on the staff’s skills and experience, the staff must undergo rigorous training before they can be unfazed in challenging situations. A member of the High Angle Rescue Team was once injured while on duty. After assessing his own condition and considering the consequences of not continuing the operation, he decided to proceed with the rescue work untreated and completed the mission, which fully embodied the fire fighters’ spirit of saving people first.

A positive public image built on community service

The FSD also spares no effort in community service. The department, along with the non-profit organisation Breakthrough and the Chinese University of Hong Kong, jointly organised the Path-finding Adventure Project which arranges fire fighters to meet and accompany youth. The mentors are fire fighters who volunteer their time during off-duty hours without pay. They receive training from social workers on helping teenagers to learn and grow. Under this project, young people can learn from the exemplary fire fighters, through their perseverance, tenacity and spirit of self-sacrifice, in order to cultivate discipline, teamwork and the ability to face adversity. The project also allows youth to visit the fire stations, and let the fire fighters share their advice on how to approach the ideal career path through continuing education, so as to encourage young people to find a direction for learning based on their own interest and strengths and therefore to create their own future.

Over the years, the FSD has built a remarkable public image, not only by providing the public with the people-oriented professional services, but also by serving the community through diverse channels.