The Independent Commission investigating the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po held its 10th hearing today (April 10). Keung Sai-ming, Assistant Director (Licensing & Certification) of the Fire Services Department, was the first representative of the department to testify and the sole witness summoned for the day.
Keung Sai-ming said that when fire engineering contractors submit documents, they must inspect the proper functioning of each component, including water tanks and booster pumps. He recalled that during the fire investigation, unusual circumstances were found, in particular that the main electrical switches for fire pumps in multiple buildings had been turned off. As Wang Fuk Court is an older estate, the buildings' fire hydrant and hose reel systems share the same power supply as the fire alarm system.
Victor Dawes, Senior Counsel representing the commission, cited reports from frontline ISS employees that they had turned off the main fire pump switch in the pump room at the request of Wang Yip Contractor. Keung Sai-ming said that ISS is not a registered contractor, but as a property management company, it is responsible for ensuring the fire safety system functions properly. It does not have the authority to bypass the fire contractor to switch the system on or off; doing so would violate the law. Keung explained that turning off the main switch for fire pumps must involve electrical maintenance, and draining water tanks is not a valid reason. If a registered fire engineering contractor agreed to such a reason, it would amount to making a fundamental error.
The Fire Safety (Installations and Equipment) Regulations stipulate that no person other than a registered contractor may maintain, inspect, or repair any fire installation or equipment on any premises. Upon conviction, the maximum fine is HK$50,000. Keung noted that after the Wang Fuk Court fire, the department sees a need to amend the regulations and will pursue six main directions. For example, turning off fire devices would require department approval. When department staff review such requests, they will consider whether alternative measures are in place to protect residents' safety. Second, the regulations will designate property management companies as one of the statutory responsible parties, obliged to ensure fire safety systems function properly. Currently, the maximum fine for violations is HK$50,000, with no custodial penalty for practitioners; the department will significantly increase penalties in the future. On enforcement, department officers currently rely heavily on summonses. Generally, they are only authorized to enter premises when investigating the cause of a fire. In the future, statutory powers will be enhanced to facilitate inspections, and a fixed-penalty mechanism will be introduced to strengthen deterrence. In addition, registered contractors will no longer hold permanent qualifications; the department will refer to other ordinances and require contractors to renew their licences after a certain period.
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