Fire Services record fewer cases in 2023, plans for operation post in Zone A

The Fire Services Bureau (CB) will build an operation post in the New Urban Zone A to bolster rapid rescue services within the area.

Speaking at a media briefing yesterday, Commander Leong Iok Sam said that the bureau has already secured a land plot in Zone A to ensure that first responders arrive at the scene within a maximum of six minutes, as stipulated in the Macau Fire Services Bureau’s Quality Charter.

Recapping activities undertaken in 2023, the CB conducted 1,822 rescue operations, a decrease of 114 cases or 5.89% compared to 2022. Most rescue efforts focused on assisting with opening doors (412 instances) and providing assistance to injured individuals (282 instances). 

The total number of special service attendances in 2023 was 6,968, marking an increase of 1,077 cases compared to 2022.

Leong also noted that the total number of fire alarms activated in 2023 was 836, an increase of 20 cases (2.45%) from 2022. 

Data revealed that the main causes of fire alarms being set off were unattended stoves, neglected kindling, burning incense and candles, and machinery/equipment failures, accounting for 58.25%  (487 instances) of the total fire alarm attendance.

The fire department also said that due to the post-pandemic resumption of normalcy, ambulance calls last year dropped by 5,722 cases year-on-year to 43,059 instances, a decrease of 11.73%.

The bureau pledged to continue strengthening public education efforts to further improve fire safety awareness within society and reduce accident probabilities.

Meanwhile, Leong said that Macau is in discussions with mainland authorities regarding the potential operation of rescue services in Hengqin’s Macau New Neighbourhood.

On cross-border rescue matters, Leong reiterated that the mainland and Macau have appropriate mechanisms in place, with reserved places for passing vehicles at each port. 

Discussions are currently underway with the relevant departments in the mainland on whether Macau rescue vehicles can directly go to Zone A to retrieve injured patients.

Macau residents living in Zhuhai seeking emergency treatment may use the special area at the Border Gate Checkpoint in order to be transferred from a mainland ambulance to a Macau ambulance.

Staff Reporter