A senior fire services official on Wednesday vowed to step up referrals of fire safety hazard complaints that are outside the department's jurisdiction, saying previous practices might have left some issues unaddressed.

Michael Yung, an assistant director at the Fire Services Department, also conceded that the division of labour among government bodies had not been written down in "black and white“, during a hearing probing the deadly Wang Fuk Court blaze.

According to an audio recording played during the hearing, a department responder told a Wang Fuk Court resident complaining about polystyrene boards that there were no regulations governing such materials on windows.

Yung, who is responsible for fire safety, testified that the matter should have been followed up by the Housing Bureau's Independent Checking Unit (ICU).

While there is a clear division of labour among different government bodies, Yung said, the complaint should have been referred to the unit.

"We have reviewed our procedures [following the fire]. Regardless of complaints or inquiries from residents on fire safety issues, we will ask for the informant's consent and proactively refer the case to the relevant departments," Yung said.

The independent committee's lead counsel, Victor Dawes, presented written testimony from ICU staff member Andy Ku, who said the unit could not prosecute those who use foam boards as the materials were temporary.

Dawes said that appeared to have created a "regulatory vacuum", but the fire department assistant director disagreed.

The committee also heard that the fire department would not directly handle issues relating to temporary openings and movable boards installed at emergency stairwells, due to the established division of labour.

Dawes pressed the assistant director on whether there were guidelines clearly stipulating the different duties of various government bodies "in black and white".

Yung admitted that the division of labour was not stipulated in written documents, and that it was "based on the ongoing collaboration between departments".

Liaison and communication among departments had not been ideal, Yung added, while agreeing with the lead counsel that each unit might have a different interpretation of their own responsibilities.

Deputy chief fire officer Fok Chun-ming, separately, testified that staff members first need to determine whether a matter falls under the fire department's purview, and only cases within its remit will be dealt with as either complaints or inquiries.

Cases linked to suspected breaches of fire service regulations would be listed as complaints and warrant inspections, Fok said, but others would be classified as inquiries, which the department does not usually follow up on.

But the fire department does not prevent staff from conducting inspections and offering advice when it comes to inquiries, he added.



Edited by Thomas McAlinden