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Fire and rescue team endures heavier workload since its creation last year

By Zhang Yi | China Daily | Updated: 2019-11-07 07:38
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Firefighters showcase their professional skills to the public in an event promoting awareness of fire prevention in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, on Nov 6, 2019. [Photo by WAN CHENGPENG/FOR CHINA DAILY]

Firefighters have faced more tasks since the China Fire and Rescue team, the country's primary emergency rescue force responsible for tackling major disasters and accidents, began operating last year.

So far this year, the number of per capita rescue missions by fire and rescue personnel has increased by about 29 percent year-on-year, the Ministry of Emergency Management said on Wednesday.

The team, which is under the emergency ministry, was launched in November 2018. It consists of the previous firefighting force under the public security authority and the previous forestry force under the armed police.

About 200,000 firefighters who were soldiers have been shifted to the team, which recruited about 14,000 firefighters after it launched and expects to recruit about 20,000 people this year, the ministry said.

The force is designed to prevent and resolve major safety risks and deal with all kinds of disasters and accidents. In rescues, it will act as the major force while cooperating with the army and other social rescue teams.

On the basis of the original fire control and emergency rescue tasks, rescue efforts during natural disasters including floods, droughts, typhoons and earthquakes, as well as during accidents involving vehicles and dangerous chemicals, are the main responsibility of the team.

Over the past year, the force completed more than 1.2 million emergency rescue missions, rescuing and evacuating more than 660,000 people, the ministry said.

With its heavier workload, the team has been improving itself, boosting its capabilities, equipment, rescue techniques and mechanisms, said Shen Zhanli, spokeswoman for the emergency ministry.

Apart from fire rescue, 27 earthquake, mountain, water and air rescue teams were launched nationwide to tackle more kinds of disasters. Six teams were set up in the border regions to deal with encroaching fires that start in neighboring countries.

The team has upgraded its equipment, including the addition of 3,400 new rescue vehicles and more than 2.3 million sets of fire prevention and rescue tools, according to the ministry.

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