Joint kick-off ceremony for distribution of home use portable firefighting equipment to households of old-style buildings by three districts (with photos)

     The Home Affairs Department, together with the Yau Tsim Mong District Fire Safety Committee, the Sham Shui Po District Fire Safety Committee, the Kowloon City District Fire Safety Committee and the Fire Services Department held a joint kick-off ceremony at the Yau Tsim Mong Multicultural Activity Centre today (October 3) to distribute home use portable firefighting equipment, including fire extinguishers and fire blankets to households of old-style domestic units of the three districts. 

     The Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Caspar Tsui; the Director of Home Affairs, Miss Janice Tse, and the Director of Fire Services, Mr Joseph Leung officiated at the ceremony today. Other officiating guests included Legislative Council members Dr Priscilla Leung and Mr Vincent Cheng; the Chairperson of the Yau Tsim Mong District Fire Safety Committee, Ms Ann Au; the Chairperson of the Sham Shui Po District Fire Safety Committee, Mr Kelvin Wong; and the Chairperson of the Kowloon City District Fire Safety Committee, Mr Aaron Ng, etc.

     In response to a fire broke out in an old-style building earlier, there are opinions in the districts that providing fire extinguishers or fire blankets to residents in need will help enhance their preparedness when facing emergency at home, especially for those living in old-style domestic buildings and "three-nil" buildings.

     Addressing at the kick-off ceremony, Mr Tsui said, "To enhance fire safety at home, the Government has chosen Yau Tsim Mong, Sham Shui Po, and Kowloon City as pilot points as there are relatively more 'three-nil' buildings in these districts. Fire extinguishers and fire blankets will be distributed to households of old buildings without owners' corporations or property management companies. District Fire Safety Committees were also invited to assist in the distribution arrangement."

     Speaking at the ceremony, Ms Au said that households of around 280 old buildings in the three districts could benefit from the scheme. The Yau Tsim Mong District Fire Safety Committee will distribute fire extinguishers, fire blankets and leaflets to targeted old-style units through co-operating with district groups, including Mongkok Kai-Fong Association, Yaumati Kaifong Association, Tsim Sha Tsui District Kaifong Welfare Association and more, in the near future. The Sham Shui Po District Fire Safety Committee and the Kowloon City District Fire Safety Committee will also distribute these home use portable firefighting equipment to targeted old-style units shortly.

     Mr Tsui, Miss Tse and Mr Leung distributed home use portable firefighting equipment to families living in "three-nil" buildings in the three districts at the ceremony. Accompanied by the District Officer (Yau Tsim Mong), Mr Edward Yu, Mr Tsui paid home visits to residents living in "three-nil" buildings in Yau Tsim Mong after the kick-off ceremony and distributed fire extinguishers and fire blankets to the households in person, aiming to enhance fire precaution awareness among them. 
      
     The Government will review the experience and effectiveness of the pilot scheme and consider the feasibility of extending the scheme to other districts.