Description
There was no fire service in the early days of Hong Kong. Fire-fighting was carried out mainly by the British troops and volunteer fire-fighting teams. The houses were mostly made of wood and packed close together and they had no access to water sources. When a fire broke out, it would spread rapidly.
On 9 May 1868 the Hong Kong government promulgated the Fire Brigade Ordinance, which established the first formal fire brigade under the Hong Kong Police Force. At the time, Charles May, who was also Police Magistrate, became the first Superintendent of the Fire Brigade to lead the fire-fighting team. Suitable officers from the Force and volunteers were recruited into the team. When a fire broke out, a police officer would strike a gong to alert the fire brigade, which then pushed a fire-fighting hand cart to the scene to put out the fire. The sound generated by the gong also alerted the public and cautioned the affected residents to stay away from the fire or to assist in fire extinguishing.
The fire-fighting hand cart was made of wood. Copper hoses were stored inside it for easy connection with fire hydrants. The manual fire engine was used from the mid-19th century to the early 20th century.
Though the Fire Brigade was separated from the Force in 1941, the Force still assisted in fire matters. Apart from rescuing people from disasters, the Force also conducted crowd management, directed traffic, and coordinated with other government departments in post-disaster work. The Fire Brigade was renamed as the Hong Kong Fire Services Department in 1961, and its Chinese name was further amended in 1983.
In the past, Hong Kong’s urban area was once dotted with wooden houses, which were often burnt down. Today, since Hong Kong is densely populated, buildings continue to be devastated by fire from time to time. Moreover, Hong Kong is surrounded by the sea and storms often hit the city. Whenever these disasters happen, police officers and fire fighters can be seen working alongside each other for the well-being of the people.
