Hanoi authorities have asked Government permission to set up an independent ‘Hanoi City Fire Department.’
Hanoi City Chairman Nguyen The Thao took advantage of a meeting with Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung on March 13 to ask that he expedite consideration of the city’s proposal to establish a City Fire Department. Thao noted that many fires have occurred in Hanoi recently, especially at high-rise buildings and in the city center.
According to Dan Tri, the PM agreed with Hanoi’s request and instructed the city and the Ministry of Public Security to work out a detailed plan.
So far the Ministry of Public Security has only agreed to the establishment of one independent Fire Department, in Ho Chi Minh City. (Elsewhere, fire control and prevention is a branch of the police organization). The ministry has announced that it is about to review the effectiveness of the HCM City Fire Department and, based on that review, the ministry will establish seven more Fire Departments, including one in Hanoi.
The Fire Division of the Hanoi Public Security Department currently has 50 specialised vehicles, including a 52m ladder truck and two 32m ladder trucks. With such equipment, this force is unable to deal with fires above the 10th floor.
Hanoi would like to establish fire prevention teams in each of its 29 districts. The city has only nine teams at present.
There are nearly 370 buildings that are ten or more stories high in Hanoi, including shopping malls, hotels, luxury apartment blocks and office buildings. Some fires at high-rise buildings have happened recently. The latest, at an 18-story building in Thanh Xuan District on March 10, killed two, stirring up public worry about fire safety at buildings.
A number of big fires were recorded in 2009, causing heavy losses, including a fire at an electronic warehouse in May 2009 and a fire at the Phu Thi Industrial Zone in November 2009.
