Among the four districts on Hong Kong Island, the Southern District is the largest one with an area of 4 000 hectares  and a population of over 250 000.  The District is characterised by its diverse community forms and living environments, which range from public housing estates, private residences and tenement buildings to village houses and typhoon shelter boat dwellings and from bustling commercial and industrial areas to tranquil country parks.  It is a sheer blend of urbanity and nature, a place where tradition meets modernity.  Yet, this unparalleled communal diversity has also made fire safety work in the Southern District particularly complex and challenging.

Since its establishment, the Southern District Fire Safety Committee (SDFSC) has been committed to promoting a culture of fire safety.  We firmly believe that fire prevention is not solely the responsibility of the Fire Services Department (FSD), but a shared duty that requires the participation of the entire community.  To this end, in close collaboration with FSD, SDFSC has organised various educational and promotional activities with the aim of spreading fire safety messages to every corner of the District.  Among such diverse activities are the Southern District Emergency Preparedness Education Day , the “Hot Strike Campaign” fire safety education activity , Home Fire Safety Visits for the Elderly , visits to fire service facilities, hill fire prevention campaigns, fire drills, fire safety parades, the promotion of “Three Basic Skills on Emergency Preparedness” and the FSD Community Emergency Responder Scheme .  These activities have not only effectively raised individual awareness towards fire safety, but have also served to foster a spirit of mutual care among neighbours to watch over each other.

Fire safety promotion is never a one-off effort, but an ongoing commitment that will only prove fruitful over time.  Therefore, SDFSC will, as always, dedicatedly uphold its mission and persevere in actively advancing district-wide promotional and educational efforts through innovative approaches.  We aspire to enhance each and every resident’s fire safety awareness and emergency response capabilities so that they are able to save themselves as well as others.

By starting small in daily lives and staying vigilant at all times, let us join hands to safeguard our shared home and build a hazard-free Southern District where everyone can live and work in peace.