Frontline firefighters fear being dragged into trouble and used as ‘human shield’

(12 Oct) The Fire services Department (FSD) has confirmed latetly that starting from this week, #firefighters have to assist in the clearing of roadblocks in areas of protests, and specified fire stations were also asked to set aside a Major Pump on standby duty for dispatch to the protest zone in case of major public events. The Major Pumps will be put under the unified command of police to handle firefighting, first responder services and carry out emergency decontamination work. These two arrangements have drawn strong criticism from within the FSD. A firefighter pointed out to the newspaper that, as the ‘anti-extradition movement’ progresses, the public images of the fire services and the police show a “huge difference”. He doubted that these two new arrangements by the police were to “drag the fire services into problems” deliberately, putting fire services personnel into the protest area and pitting them against the protesters. He believed the arrangements had sown further discord among the fire services and the police.

Firefighter Ah Hei (fictitious name) said that normally they had to take part in civil defence work like helping clean up after typhoon, removing fallen trees, and they have never complained about rescue operations that fall within their responsibility. However, colleagues within the FSD strongly disagree with the new arrangements, no matter their political views being yellow (pro-protesters) or blue (pro-establishment). ‘We felt that the police wanted to drag us into problems on purpose,’ Ah Hei said. He also said that the police have been responsible for clearing roadblocks set up by protesters all along since the movement. However, the FSD has received numerous complaints recently about not helping with the removal of roadblocks proactively. He criticised the management of FSD ‘bowed down’ promptly under pressure by announcing the FSD personnel has to take up the roadblocks removal work. ‘However, we will not confront the citizens. If the protesters haven’t gone away, we will observe inside the fire appliances parked on the periphery,’ Ah Hei added.

Ah Hei said that, since the ‘anti-extradition movement’ has broken out, ‘public opinion appears that kudos are given to the fire services, boos to the police.’ Frontline police officers become hostile to the fire services personnel. It is more conspicuous especially after the incident in which firefighters have opened the roller shutter of Admiralty MTR station to rescue the trapped protesters. Ah Hei cited a recent encounter with the police when he was on duty. In that incident, they were on the same one-way street as the police, competing for ways. ‘The police turned on the high beam headlight to force us to give way,’ he said. This is not all. He said a colleague told him that during a recent clash between the police and citizens, anti-riot police deliberately fired tear gas towards our fire appliance when there were no citizens around. He doubted that the police’s request for dispatching Major Pumps to the protest scenes was out of vengeance, so that ‘the fire services can be dragged into problems and experience the atmosphere of frontline clashes’. Ah Hei said the two new arrangements have aroused heated discussions among the FSD personnel. Some colleagues thought the police ‘can do whatever they want’ and should be responded by ‘non-cooperative’ movement. ‘They are worried that the police will use them as human shield, and use the Major Pumps to collaborate with their round-up and arrest operations. All in all, their rationale is that, as the fire services enjoy high public approval ratings, we should go first and the “raptors” (Police Special Tactical Squad) that follow will do the arrest,’ he said.

Source: Apple Daily, https://hk.news.appledaily.com/local/realtime/article/20191012/60146029

#PoliceState

Arrested Firefighter: “Between fighting fires and saving lives -- I choose to save Hong Kong”

Prior to the Support Rally for Firefighters and Paramedics on 14 November, the organizers collected voices of 105 frontline firefighters and paramedics. One of them, from arrested Firefighter F, encouraged Hongkongers to carry on.

F noted that he originally stationed in Kowloon. He went to the front line in the recent months and was arrested in one of the protests. He stated in his letter: “I have two kids, one is about to be born. Unfortunately, I have no chance to witness the childbirth. I feel sorry to my wife. My job is about fighting fires or saving lives, but in the end, I choose to save Hong Kong because I don’t want to look on with folded arms. My child will be born in 2019. I don’t know what Hong Kong would become as it inches towards 2047, when my child grows up as a youth. If we lost, history would only remember us as rioters. That’s why Hongkongers must carry on.”

The organizers also read the messages of F’s colleagues. Here are some of their voices:

-“You have done nothing wrong, bro. It is the tyrannical government who, using all Hongkongers as betting chips, is at fault.”

-“Not the Disciplinary Services Department will be the puppet of the merciless regime!”

-“You have done nothing wrong -- not even a nuclear blast can divide us.”

-“I support you, brother,” “With you arrested, Hong Kong has lost a firefighter with conscience.”

Source: Stand News #Nov14
#Firefighters #FightforFreedom #LiberateHongKong

Hong Kong Firefighter Arrested during Protests: “Between fighting fires and saving lives -- I choose to save Hong Kong”

"My child will be born in 2019. I don’t know what Hong Kong would become as it inches towards 2047, when my child grows up as a youth. If we lost, History would only remember us as rioters. That’s why Hong Kong people must carry on.”

Source: Stand News #Nov14
#Firefighters #FightforFreedom