Examination of Estimates of Expenditure 2018-19 Reply Serial No. SB219 CONTROLLING OFFICER’S REPLY (Question Serial No. 0285) Head: (45) Fire Services Department Subhead (No. & title): (-) Not specified Programme: (-) Not specified Controlling Officer: Director of Fire Services (LI Kin-yat) Director of Bureau: Secretary for Security Question: 1. The Fire Services Department estimates that there will be an increase of 383 non-directorate posts in 2018-19. What are the reasons? What is the corresponding increase in the estimated expenditure on remuneration? 2. Please provide the number of posts to be deleted or created by the Department by Programme and rank. 3. The establishment as at 31 March 2018 will be 10 694 permanent posts. It is estimated that the number of posts will be increased to 11 077 by 31 March 2019. Please list the establishment, strength, number of retirees and wastage of each rank in 2017-18 and 2018-19 (estimated figures). 4. What are the detailed reasons for the wastage? Asked by: Hon LAU Ip-keung, Kenneth (Member Question No. (LegCo use): 45) Reply: 1.&2. The Fire Services Department (FSD) estimates that there will be an increase of 383 non-directorate posts in 2018-19, involving an estimated annual expenditure of about $200 million. The posts to be created are detailed as follows: No. of Programme Rank Reason posts Programme (1) Senior Station Officer/ 2 To provide the required managerial and Fire Service Station Officer (Control) technical support for the development of Principal Fireman (Control) 2 the Fourth Generation Mobilising Senior Fireman (Control) 2 System Senior Technical Officer 1 Land Surveyor 1 No. of Programme Rank Reason posts Analyst/Programmer I 1 Analyst/Programmer II 2 Senior Electronics Inspector 1 Electronics Inspector 1 Assistant Electronics Inspector 1 Senior Survey Officer 1 Assistant Divisional Officer 1 To cope with various major Senior Station Officer/ 2 development and infrastructure projects, Station Officer and to plan for the construction of new Executive Officer II 1 fire stations and ambulance depots Assistant Divisional Officer 4 To establish 12 Fire Safety Inspection Senior Station Officer/ 24 Teams to focus on the handling of Station Officer complaints related to imminent fire Principal Fireman 12 hazards in various districts and taking Senior Fireman 12 forward the proactive inspection and visit programme in target buildings Senior Station Officer/ 4 To provide manpower for a new major Station Officer fireboat to enhance the firefighting and Principal Fireman 8 rescue efficiency in the eastern waters Senior Fireman 11 of Hong Kong Fireman 23 Assistant Divisional Officer 1 To provide manpower for the fire station Senior Station Officer/ (1) with ambulance facilities at Station Officer Liantang/Heung Yuen Wai Boundary Senior Fireman 11 Control Point Fireman 27 Assistant Clerical Officer 1 Senior Information Officer 1 To strengthen the dissemination of Information Officer 1 information to the public through various channels Clinical Psychologist 2 To strengthen the administrative, Senior Treasury Accountant 1 psychological counselling and other support in the Department Senior Executive Officer 1 Executive Officer II 3 Clerical Officer 1 Assistant Clerical Officer 3 Mechanical Inspector 1 Programme (2) Assistant Divisional Officer 1 To provide additional manpower to Fire Protection Senior Station Officer/ 8 ensure the statutory compliance of fire and Prevention Station Officer service installations and equipment in Principal Fireman 4 buildings Senior Fireman 15 Senior Station Officer/ 2 To provide additional manpower to Station Officer carry out inspections and acceptance Senior Fireman 2 inspections of fire service installations Building Services Inspector 2 and equipment related to various major No. of Programme Rank Reason posts Assistant Building Services 2 infrastructure projects Inspector Divisional Officer 1 To provide additional manpower to Assistant Divisional Officer 3 process and certify plans related to Senior Station Officer/ 11 various major infrastructure projects Station Officer Principal Technical Officer 1 Senior Technical Officer 2 Senior Building Services 1 Engineer Building Services Engineer 1 Assistant Clerical Officer 1 Senior Divisional Officer 1 To enhance the emergency preparedness Divisional Officer 1 of the public and their self-rescue Assistant Divisional Officer 2 capability in the face of emergencies through public education, and to devise Senior Station Officer/ 4 strategies for public education on fire Station Officer safety Principal Fireman 4 Senior Fireman 10 Fireman 8 Clerical Officer 1 Assistant Clerical Officer 2 Clerical Assistant 2 Senior Divisional Officer 1 To cope with the work relating to the Divisional Officer 1 development of the Three-runway Assistant Divisional Officer 2 System Project Senior Station Officer/ 6 Station Officer Assistant Divisional Officer 1 To increase the manpower of the Senior Station Officer/ 3 Anti-illicit Fuelling Activities Task Station Officer Force Senior Fireman 3 Programme (3) Senior Ambulanceman 28 To operate additional ambulance shifts Ambulance Ambulanceman 57 to further strengthen the ambulance Service service Superintendent (Ambulance) 1 To strengthen the managerial manpower of the Ambulance Command Senior Ambulance Officer 1 To step up the clinical quality assurance of the paramedic service Assistant Chief Ambulance 1 To strengthen ambulance-related public Officer education, including the provision of Superintendent (Ambulance) 1 training in cardiopulmonary Senior Ambulance Officer 2 resuscitation and automated external Ambulance Officer 3 defibrillators Principal Ambulanceman 4 Senior Ambulanceman 6 Principal Ambulanceman 1 To upgrade the rank of a Senior No. of Programme Rank Reason posts Senior Ambulanceman (1) Ambulanceman post to take charge of the ambulance service in the fire station with ambulance facilities at Liantang/Heung Yuen Wai Boundary Control Point Total: 383 ( ) The figure in brackets denotes the number of posts to be deleted 3. The establishment and strength of the FSD in 2017-18 and 2018-19 are tabulated below: 2017-18 2018-19 Establishment Strength* Establishment Strength (Estimate) Fire Stream 6 930 6 745 7 169 The estimated Ambulance 3 013 2 948 3 117 strength of various Stream grades for 2018-19 Civilian, technical 751 699 791 is not available as and other grades the number of staff Total: 10 694 10 392 11 077 members varies from time to time * Strength as at 1 March 2018 (including staff members on pre-retirement leave) The overall wastage of various grades in 2017-18 and the estimated wastage in 2018-19 in the FSD are tabulated below: No. of persons 2017-18 2018-19 Type of (Estimate) wastage Fire Ambulance Civilian, Total Fire Ambulance Civilian, Total Stream Stream technical Stream Stream technical and other and other grades grades Retirement 217 95 27 339 249 91 37 377 Exit for 51 45 36 132 Not predictable other reasons Total: 268 140 63 471 249 91 37 377 4. Retirement is the main reason for departure of staff members from the FSD, with other reasons including resignation and transfer to other grades. - End - Examination of Estimates of Expenditure 2018-19 Reply Serial No. SB216 CONTROLLING OFFICER’S REPLY (Question Serial No. 0371) Head: (45) Fire Services Department Subhead (No. & title): (-) Not specified Programme: (3) Ambulance Service Controlling Officer: Director of Fire Services (LI Kin-yat) Director of Bureau: Secretary for Security Question: In 2018-19, the Fire Services Department (FSD) will continue to respond to ambulance calls effectively and efficiently through strategic deployment of properly trained staff, equipment and ambulances. Will the Government advise on: 1. the total number of ambulance depots at present and their distribution by district; 2. the minimum provision of staff, equipment and ambulances for the ambulance depots; 3. the breakdown of the current number of staff in the Ambulance Stream of the FSD, including both frontline and backup staff, by type; and 4. how it plans to increase the manpower and resources of the Ambulance Stream of the FSD in view of the progressive yearly increases in emergency calls? Asked by: Hon IP LAU Suk-yee, Regina (Member Question No. (LegCo use): 44) Reply: 1. At present, there are altogether 39 ambulance depots and 28 ambulance out-stations (i.e. fire stations with ambulances) in the territory. Their distribution is as follows: Division Ambulance depot Ambulance out-station Total Hong Kong 7 10 17 Kowloon East 6 4 10 Kowloon West 8 2 10 New Territories North 9 5 14 New Territories South 9 7 16 Territory-wide 39 28 67 Note: The fire station cum ambulance depot at the Hong Kong Boundary Crossing Facilities of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, which is expected to be commissioned later this year, is not included in the above figures. 2. The number of ambulances and staff stationed at each ambulance depot varies with such factors as the local population and the number of ambulance calls received in the respective districts. Each ambulance is normally manned by 3 ambulance personnel and equipped with standard paramedic equipment (including automated external defibrillator, patient monitoring system, scoop stretcher, etc.) and selected drugs for handling emergency conditions. 3. In 2017-18, the establishment of the Ambulance Stream of the Fire Services Department (FSD) by rank is as follows: Rank Establishment Chief Ambulance Officer 1 Deputy Chief Ambulance Officer 1 Senior Assistant Chief Ambulance Officer 4 Assistant Chief Ambulance Officer 7 Superintendent (Ambulance) 14 Senior Ambulance Officer 52 Ambulance Officer 104 Principal Ambulanceman 279 Senior Ambulanceman 721 Ambulanceman 1 830 Total 3 013 4. The FSD has been closely monitoring the changes in demand for the emergency ambulance service and the manpower situation of the Ambulance Stream. The number of emergency ambulance calls in 2017 was about 8.1% higher than that in 2012. From 2012-13 to 2017-18, the manpower of the Ambulance Stream increased by about 8.7% (241 staff members in total). In 2017, an average of 2 016 ambulance calls were handled by each ambulance, representing a decrease of about 16.2% over the 2 405 calls in 2012.