Hong Kong's firefighting capabilities received a significant upgrade this week as a new batch of specialized equipment from the Chinese mainland entered active service. Security Secretary Chris Tang Ping-keung confirmed the deployment during a briefing with China Media Group on Thursday, highlighting enhanced coordination between the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government and central authorities.
The latest shipment includes 5,000 firefighter goggles and 8,000 pairs of waterproof gloves delivered Wednesday, complementing earlier supplies of cutting-edge technology like lighting drones and exoskeleton suits. These resources are currently being utilized in ongoing rescue operations across the territory.
"The central government's support demonstrates our shared commitment to public safety," Tang stated, noting that the dual-light reconnaissance drones have improved night operations efficiency by 40%. Since December 1, mainland-provided equipment has assisted in 17 major incident responses.
This cross-border cooperation framework, operating under the 'one country, two systems' principle, ensures rapid resource mobilization while maintaining Hong Kong's high degree of autonomy. Analysts suggest the partnership model could set precedents for future regional disaster response coordination.
