The Hong Kong Fire Services Department will establish a special committee this year to set fire safety improvement standards for older buildings.

Plans are also in hand to speed up the process by using advanced technologies to see if fire safety designs for buildings are up to standard.

These initiatives come in the wake of a fatal fire at a 61-year-old building in downtown Kowloon in April.  

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During the annual year-end review conference on Wednesday, Director of Fire Services Andy Yeung Yan-kin reported that the department responded to over 37,000 fire alarm calls in 2024, a 4.8 percent increase from the previous year, primarily due to a rise in false alarms.

Out of these calls, 5,222 incidents resulted in actual fires, marking an increase of 154 cases. Many of these incidents were related to cooking stoves, motor vehicles, and welding sparks.  

Tragically, a fire at New Lucky House, a mixed-use building in Jordan, Kowloon, claimed five lives and injured dozens.

In response, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government revised the Fire Safety (Buildings) Bill to empower the Fire Services Department and the Buildings Department to implement fire safety improvements in noncompliant older buildings, with costs to be recouped from owners after completion.  

Yeung announced plans to establish a consultation committee to define criteria for identifying buildings that require mandatory fire safety enhancements. A pilot program is slated to begin in the fourth quarter, covering 10 to 20 older buildings and concluding in the first half of next year. After that, 20 to 60 renovation projects are expected to be completed each year.

Additionally, a special task force will be launched in March to see if buildings’ fire safety designs and arrangements are up to the required standards, with a focus on expediting the processes using 3D spatial scanning technologies.  

The acceptance process for regular projects is expected to be reduced from 52 to 35 working days, while the acceptance process for public housing will be shortened to 22 working days.

“In the past, our officers had to visit the site in person to assess the condition of the building,” Yeung explained.

“Now, a three-dimensional spatial scanning system allows officers to understand the building layout and verify the location of fire safety facilities before arriving on-site.”  

Reflecting on the previous year’s accomplishments, Yeung noted that the operational code for fire engineers had been drafted and received widespread support from industry insiders.

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He said he hoped that a more detailed version of the rules would be presented to the Legislative Council for review by the end of this year. The director also pledged to roll out a complaint platform to make it easier for residents to report and access information on fire hazards.

Addressing fiscal concerns, Yeung emphasized the department’s commitment to prudent resource management, opting for internal resource reallocation over additional hiring.

He affirmed the department’s dedication to scrutinizing expenditures and aligning with government cost-saving initiatives.

Contact the writer at lilei@chinadailyhk.com