Hong Kong to Replace Emergency Fax System with Digital Platform After Fatal Fire Inquiry
Hong Kong’s Secretary for Security, Chris Tang Ping-keung, has announced plans to abolish the use of fax machines for emergency communications between the police and the Fire Services Department. This decision follows an independent inquiry into a fatal fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, which claimed 168 lives and exposed critical bottlenecks in emergency response protocols. The investigation revealed that residents waited up to 15 minutes for call referrals due to insufficient phone lines at the Fire Services Department, which had only 30 lines compared to the police’s 200. Additionally, the practice of faxing online emergency appeals was identified as inefficient and undesirable. Tang pledged to establish a digital mechanism for information sharing within one to two months and to increase the number of phone lines at call centers. These reforms aim to prevent future delays in emergency responses and ensure faster coordination between security forces. The announcement was made during a Legislative Council Finance Committee meeting, highlighting the government's commitment to modernizing emergency infrastructure following the tragic incident that occurred in November of the previous year.
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Hong Kong to Replace Emergency Fax System with Digital Platform After Fatal Fire Inquiry
Hong Kong’s Secretary for Security, Chris Tang Ping-keung, has announced plans to abolish the use of fax machines for emergency communications between the police and the Fire Services Department. This decision follows an independent inquiry into a fatal fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, which claimed 168 lives and exposed critical bottlenecks in emergency response protocols. The investigation revealed that residents waited up to 15 minutes for call referrals due to insufficient phone lines at the Fire Services Department, which had only 30 lines compared to the police’s 200. Additionally, the practice of faxing online emergency appeals was identified as inefficient and undesirable. Tang pledged to establish a digital mechanism for information sharing within one to two months and to increase the number of phone lines at call centers. These reforms aim to prevent future delays in emergency responses and ensure faster coordination between security forces. The announcement was made during a Legislative Council Finance Committee meeting, highlighting the government's commitment to modernizing emergency infrastructure following the tragic incident that occurred in November of the previous year.
News - South China Morning Post