Soundbites

Editor's note: The State Council Information Office hosted a group interview under the theme "Forging Ahead on the New Journey" on Monday, inviting representatives of the emergency management field to share their perspectives on fulfilling the responsibilities of preventing risks and safeguarding public safety.

Over the past 14 years, I have responded to more than 2,700 emergencies and helped evacuate or rescue more than 620 people. For firefighters, operational readiness starts with strong conviction. In dangerous situations, even a moment of hesitation can affect the outcome, so training must strengthen both skills and resolve. One fire I will never forget broke out in a high-rise residential building in March 2025. We stopped the flames from spreading upward and evacuated every resident to safety. Knowing there were no casualties made everything worthwhile.

Zhang Yan, political instructor of the Tiexi District Qigong Fire and Rescue Station, Shenyang, Liaoning province

After more than 20 years in flood control and disaster response, my deepest lesson is that prevention must come first and risk management must be thorough. Over two years, I led my team in systematically identifying 1,415 high-risk flood-control sites across Tianjin and building an intelligent management system that puts key risks and response information on a visual platform. We have turned years of experience into a tool for better preparedness, risk assessment and emergency response.

Zhang Dongfang, director of the Emergency Management Affairs Center of the Tianjin Municipal Bureau of Emergency Management

Yiwu now has more than 1.3 million registered businesses and handles more than 35 million parcels a day. To address the safety challenges brought by rapid growth, we have introduced 74 local safety management standards and developed a digital comprehensive safety supervision platform, also affectionately called the "Yiwu safety brain", covering 220,000 businesses and other sites. Our AI system can identify violations in confined-space operations and issue real-time warnings. Since its introduction, violations by companies have fallen by more than 70 percent year-on-year.

Wu Juliang, deputy director of the Yiwu Emergency Management Bureau, Zhejiang province

Grassroots emergency management may seem routine, but it is the front line of urban safety. In our district, with many older residential communities and small businesses, I have learned that safety depends on getting every detail right. We focus on prevention at the source. Before businesses begin renovations, we explain the fire-safety requirements, helping them avoid hazards and costly rework. More shop owners now actively ask us to conduct safety checks, showing stronger awareness. I hope smart technologies will make risk prevention even more precise and efficient.

Wu Kai, captain of the Qinhong Subdistrict Emergency Law Enforcement Team, Nanjing, Jiangsu province

I have worked on the front lines for 17 years and taken part in more than 30 major rescue operations, helping evacuate or rescue more than 2,000 people. I specialize in powered pontoon bridge operations and was among the first trainees in our group to receive training in the equipment. I can independently complete bridge assembly, water deployment and emergency transport. Beyond powered pontoon bridges, we also use advanced equipment for drainage, breaching and detection. I hope smarter equipment and stronger training can further improve our ability to protect lives and property.

Han Lei, a member of the Wuhan Rescue Base of China Anneng Construction Group Co