Fire_Services_Bureau

Fire Services Bureau

Fire Services Bureau

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The Fire Services Bureau[1] (Chinese: 消防局;[2] Portuguese: Corpo de Bombeiros,[lower-alpha 1][3] CB) is responsible for fire and rescue services in Macau. Volunteer fire brigades in Macau dates back to 1851 and full-time department in 1883. Prior to 1851, the Portuguese military provided fire services in the colony. In 1999, the CB became a fully civilian agency. Today the department is organized under the Macau Security Force (since 1976 after decades as a division of public works, Leal Senado and municipal control). The brigade is responsible for fire and rescue for both land and air.

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The CB operates an ambulance service (Ambulância de Macau), but the Macau Red Cross also operates ambulances (Toyota HiAce vans) for emergency and non-emergencies to local hospitals with volunteer staff.[4]

The organization has a total of 739 uniformed firefighters and paramedics serving from seven fire stations in Macau with one central HQ on Macau.

Stations

Sai Van Lake Fire Station and FS Headquarters
Areia Preta Fire Station and Fire School
Central Fire Station (Old FS Headquarters)
UM Fire Station

Macau's fire brigade began with a single station in 1883 and had three by 1916:

  • Station 1 – Central at Estrada de Coelho do Amaral (Now fire museum)
  • Station 2 – Avenida Almirante Sérgio
  • Station 3 – Avenida Horta e Costa

As of 2011, there are seven fire stations in Macau:

Mainland

  • Lago Sai Van (Avenida Dr. Stanley Ho) – modern five-storey building housing fire and ambulance operations; located next to Sai Van Lake; completed 2006 and home to fire services headquarters
  • Areia Preta (bounded by Dr. Francisco Vieira Machado Do and Marginal da Areia Preta, Estrada Nordeste, Avenida Do and Nova Da Areia Preta Rua) – second station on mainland and designed by architect Manuel Vicente (1992–1996)

Taipa

  • Taipa (Rua Siu Kuan, Rua Nam Keng) – fire and ambulance depot; fire training tower on the north end of Taipa
  • Airport Division – two stations at the airport with one main depot (along runway) and one sub-depot (next to north end of terminal)
Macau Airport fire sub-station behind aircraft

Coloane

  • (Estrada do Alto de Coloane and Estrada do Dique Oeste) – fire services depot

Cotai

  • (Rua Campo) – fire operations station constructed 2009–2010

Hengqin

  • Hengqin Fire Station - newest fire station opened in 2013 as temporary site and fully in 2015.[5] This location is within UM campus grounds and not to be mistaken for the Hengqin Fire Station in Zhuhai.

Central Command Centre and Museum is a two-storey colonial building formerly Station 1 and fire headquarters.

Commissioners

  • Loi Kam Wan – Commissioner Macau Fire Service
    • Eurico Lopes Fazenda – Deputy Commissioner Macau Fire Service
    • Lei Pun Chi – Deputy Commissioner Macau Fire Service

Rank

The following ranks are observed in the CB in accordance with Law No. 2/2008 (Restructure of the Careers in the Security Forces and Departments):[6][7]

Superior Career (高級職程; Carreiras Superiores)

  • Chief major (消防總監; Chefe-mor)
  • Adjunct chief major (副消防總監; Chefe-mor adjunto)
  • Principal chief (消防總長; Chefe principal)
  • Adjunct chief (副消防總長; Chefe-ajundante)
  • First class chief (一等消防區長; Chefe de primeira)
  • Assistant chief (副一等消防區長; Chefe assistante)

Basic Career (基礎職程; Carreira de Base)

  • Chief (消防區長; Chefe)
  • Officer Candidate (準消防官; Aspirante a oficial)
  • Deputy chief (副消防區長; Subchefe) This Rank is utilised when a Firefighter is in the Officer Formation Course.
  • Chief firefighter (首席消防員 Bombeiro principal)
  • First class firefighter (一等消防員; Bombeiro de primeira)
  • Firefighter (消防員; Bombeiro)

Fleet

Land vehicles

Fire engine
Ambulance

Boats

  • Boston Whaler Challenger – 27' fire and rescue boat  United States – managed by Macau Marine Department
  • SEN Engenharia e Arquitectura Naval, Multi-Purpose Rescue and Fire Boat  Portugal – for use at airport

Air Support

Sky Shuttle Helicopters can provides search and rescue support when victims need to be transported by area to hospital for treatment.

Ambulances are European standard Type B.

Uniform and gear

The uniform and insignia worn by CB personnel follows the model worn by the firefighters of Portugal.

The gear worn by the CB are similar to ones worn in Hong Kong:

  • Pacific F3D fire helmet – fire crews
  • F1 Gallet fire helmet – fire crews

Firefighters wear yellow helmets, while senior officers use blue.

  • Nomex protection hood

Ambulance officers use chartreuse safety helmet with visor.

See also

Notes

  1. Meaning Fire Department in the literal translation.

References

  1. [1]
    "Fire Services Bureau". Macao SAR Government Portal. Retrieved 2020-09-13.
  2. [2]
    消防局. 澳门特别行政区政府入口网站 [Macao SAR Government Portal] (in Simplified Chinese). Retrieved 2020-09-13.
  3. [3]
    "Corpo de Bombeiros". Portal do Governo da RAE de Macau [Macao SAR Government Portal] (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2020-09-13.
  4. [4]
    "Ambulance". Macau Red Cross. Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2014-12-29.
  5. [5]
    "Hengqin Fire Station inaugurated on Fire Services Bureau anniversary". 27 April 2015.
  6. [6]
    "Lei n.º 2/2008" (in Portuguese) – via Imprensa Oficial.
  7. [7]
    "Descrição de distintivos". Fire Services Bureau.
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