Emergency Preparedness in Asia Pacific Plenary Session
Panelist : Yip Ming, Senior Divisional Officer, Fire Services Dept., HKSAR Government
Topic: “The Role of Fire-fighters and Stages in Decontamination Operations”

March 29, 15.55 – 16.55

Abstract:
Despite being assessed as a city with moderate threat from terrorism, the HKSAR Government has in place comprehensive contingency plans against such incidents, and the Fire Services Department is the agency delegated with the responsibility of executing decontamination protocols in Chemical, Biological, Radiological or Nuclear Agency (CBRN) attacks as well as natural or human accidents. In this session, the speaker will discuss the issues faced by front-line officers at various stages of decontamination, from the immediate response level to full-scale mass decontamination set up, and the many facets of constraints due to the highly congested and vibrant urban environment.

Biography:
Mr. Yip joined the Hong Kong Fire Services in 1980 and worked through the ranks to become Senior Divisional Officer in 2004. He now works as the Divisional Commander of Central Division of the Hong Kong Island, Islands and Marine Fire Command, and oversees the operational efficiency of 6 fire stations in the Division.

In the recent World Trade Organization Sixth Ministerial Conference (MC6), Mr. Yip was assigned as the Fire Services Representative in the Steering Committee on Security. One of his main tasks was to devise a CBRN Decontamination System that is capable of treating about 1,800 persons within an hour.