The local Fire Services Bureau (CB) has reported a general drop in requests for their services in the first half (1H) of this year, the bureau reported in its half-year report.
According to the report, in the first six months of 2023, the CB was called to intervene in 24,551 cases, 1,921 fewer than 2022 (-7.26% year-on-year).
Although all types of services from the CB reported drops year-on-year during the first half of this year, the most significant drop was seen in the Special Services, which registered a drop of 26,03% when compared to the same period last year. This is largely attributable to the reduction in ambulance deployments related to Covid-19 cases, which were overloading the CB over the past year.
Between January and June 2023, the number of cases of ambulance deployment totaled 20,913, a reduction of 4.55% (almost 1,000 fewer deployments) when compared to 2022.
On those, most of the calls involved general first aid cases such as patients presenting with breathing difficulties, dizziness, abdominal pain, fever, and palpitations. These cases, which are considered low severity and potentially do not require the deployment of an ambulance, represented 12,002 cases, or 57.39% of the total number of ambulance deployments. The numbers demonstrate that excessive calls for ambulance services are an ongoing problem, as reported on other occasions.
The CB also said that with the easing of the procedures regarding positive cases of Covid-19, the number of ambulance deployments has generally returned to pre-pandemic levels. Nonetheless, the CB has called on the population to save limited health care resources and reserve ambulance deployments to those in real need.
Fewer cases of fires were also reported in the first six months (-4.42%) but the CB said it continued to be concerned regarding fires caused by people forgetting to turn off stoves and cooking appliances as well as electrical short circuits and fires caused by burning incense and candles/votive papers. These types of fires represented 55% of the total cases, amounting to 226 cases.
Cigarette butts being left unattended have also been reported as the cause of most of the cases of criminal fire (arson) in the first six months of the year.
In a final request to the population, the CB also noted the added difficulties for emergency services to attend to some accidents and urgent cases due to the incivility of many drivers who refuse to give way to ambulances and fire vehicles on the roads.
