Streamlining, effective regulation at heart of new fire control reform

China will comprehensively reform how fire control departments operate by devoting more effort to effective supervision while streamlining administration and delegating powers, according to the country’s top emergency management authority.

The country will ratchet up reforms dealing with how fire control laws are enforced, according to a guideline released on Sunday by the general offices of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council.

The guideline asked fire service authorities to take more measures to enhance management at the source to prevent and defuse risks.

Chungsas, deputy head of the fire services bureau of the Ministry of Emergency Management, said the ministry will make greater use of the country’s credit rating system and carry out more random inspections of those who frequently violate fire regulations in order to enhance governance. Chungsas, like many ethnic Tibetans, uses only one name.

“Offenders with serious violations will be included in a blacklist and be subject to punishment by different government bodies,” he said.

Special campaigns will be launched in a timely fashion, targeting industrial sectors frequently affected by fire disasters. More of those found to have outstanding hazards and serious or frequent fire regulation violations will be subject to random inspections more often, he said.

Rewards will be available to members of the public who report fire hazards to firefighting authorities to encourage their participation in fire control supervision, he added.

According to the guideline, technology such as big data and the interconnection of devices through the internet of things will be used to enable real-time evaluation of fire risks and precise oversight.

Also, under the guideline, officers’ activities in enforcing fire safety rules will be further regulated, said Shang Yong, vice-minister of emergency management.

“Firefighters will be forbidden to take posts in firefighting industry associations and agencies. Retired firefighters who take such posts should abide by relevant government regulations and accept no wages from these posts,” he said.

More measures will be adopted to ensure the participation of at least two officers during the enforcement of fire regulations, he added.

Efforts will also be made to further streamline administration and delegate powers while more effective enforcement methods are used.

According to the guideline, new, densely populated business premises will no longer have to pass a firefighting authority’s examination before going into operation. With their business license in hand, they can start business after promising that their fire control facilities meet national standards.

The guideline also exempts new businesses involved in maintenance of fire control facilities and fire safety assessments from examination and approval by firefighting authorities before they open for business.

According to preliminary estimates, each year the new policies will benefit over 100,000 densely populated business premises and tens of thousands of businesses and agencies providing fire control services, Chungsas said.

He said the ministry will take a series of measures to intensify management of these business premises and agencies so that they will not relax their fire control efforts as the reform moves forward.

Inspections will be used to check whether business premises have fixed fire control facilities as they promised. Businesses will be suspended for serious violations.

The ministry will carry out more random inspections to enhance supervision over businesses that provide fire control services. Such agencies and their employees may permanently be denied access to the sector if violations are serious, he said.

Offenders with serious violations will ... be subject to punishment by different government bodies.” Chungsas, deputy head of the fire services bureau of the Ministry of Emergency Management