Fire Services Bureau

The Fire Services Bureau[1] (Chinese: 消防局;[2] Portuguese: Corpo de Bombeiros,[lower-alpha 1][3] CB) is responsible for fire and rescue services in Macau. Volunteer fire brigades in Macau dates back to 1851 and full-time department in 1883. Prior to 1851, the Portuguese military provided fire services in the colony. In 1999, the CB became a fully civilian agency. Today the department is organized under the Macau Security Force (since 1976 after decades as a division of public works, Leal Senado and municipal control). The brigade is responsible for fire and rescue for both land and air.

Fire Services Bureau
消防局
Corpo de Bombeiros
Agency overview
Established1851; renamed 1976
Employees739
CommissionerSecretariat for Security
Fire chiefCommander
Facilities and equipment
Stations7
Trucks38
Ambulances9

The CB operates ambulance service (Ambulância de Macau), but the Macau Red Cross also operates ambulances (Toyota HiAce vans) for emergency and non-emergencies to local hospitals with volunteer staff.[4]

The organization has a total of 739 uniformed firefighters and paramedics serving from 7 fire stations in Macau with one central HQ on Macau.

Stations
Lago Sai Van Fire Station and FS Headquarters
Areia Preta Fire Station and Fire School
Central Fire Station (Old FS Headquarters)
UM Fire Station

Macau's fire brigade began with a single station in 1883 and had three by 1916:

  • Station 1 - Central
  • Station 2 - Avenida Almirante Sérgio
  • Station 3 - Avenida Horta e Costa

There are 7 fire stations in Macau as of 2011:

Mainland

  • Lago Sai Van (Avenida Dr. Stanley Ho)- modern 5 storey building housing fire and ambulance operations; located next to Lago Sai Van; completed 2006 and home to fire services headquarters
  • Areia Preta (bounded by Dr Franciso V Mac Avenida Do and Marginal da Areia Preta, Estrada Nordeste, Avenida Do and Nova Da Areia Preta Rua) - second station on mainland and designed by architect Manuel Vicente (1992-1996)

Taipa

  • Taipa (Rua Siu Kuan, Rua Nam Keng) - fire and ambulance depot; fire training tower on the north end of Taipa
  • Airport Division - 2 stations at the airport with one main depot (along runway) and one sub-depot (next to north end of terminal)
Macau Airport fire sub-station behind aircraft

Coloane

  • (Estrada do Alto de Coloane and Estrada do Dique Oeste) - fire services depot

Cotai

  • (Rua Campo) - fire operations station
  • newest fire station being constructed 2009-2010

Central Command Centre and Museum is a two storey colonial building formerly Station 1 and fire headquarters.

Commissioners
  • Loi Kam Wan - Commissioner Macau Fire Service
    • Eurico Lopes Fazenda - Deputy Commissioner Macau Fire Service
    • Lei Pun Chi - Deputy Commissioner Macau Fire Service

Rank

The following ranks are observed in the CB in accordance with Law No. 2/2008 (Restructure of the Careers in the Security Forces and Departments):[5][6]

  • Chefe-Mor (Chief Major)
  • Chefe-Mor Adjunto (Adjunct Chief Major)
  • Chefe Principal (Principal Chief)
  • Chefe-Ajundante (Adjunct Chief)
  • Chefe de Primeira (First Chief)
  • Chefe Assistante (Assistant Chief)
  • Chefe (Chief)
  • Subchefe (Sub-Chief)
  • Bombeiro-Ajudante (Adjunct Fireman)
  • Bombeiro (Fireman)

Fleet

Land vehicles
Corpo de Bombeiros de Macau
Ambulância de Macau

Boats
  • Boston Whaler Challenger - 27' fire and rescue boat  United States - managed by Macau Marine Department
  • SEN Engenharia e Arquitectura Naval, Multi-Purpose Rescue and Fire Boat  Portugal - for use at airport

Air Support

Sky Shuttle Helicopters can provides search and rescue support when victims need to be transported by area to hospital for treatment.

Ambulances are European standard Type B.

Uniform and gear

The uniform and insignia worn by CB personnel follows the model worn by the firefighters of Portugal.

The gear worn by the CB are similar to ones worn in Hong Kong:

  • Pacific F3D fire helmet - fire crews
  • F1 Gallet fire helmet - fire crews

Firefighters wear yellow helmets, while senior officers use blue.

  • Nomex protection hood

Ambulance officers use Chartreuse safety helmet with visor.

See also
  • Fire Services Department (Hong Kong)

Notes
  1. Meaning Fire Department in the literal translation.

References
  1. https://www.gov.mo/en/entity-page/entity-514/
  2. https://www.gov.mo/zh-hans/entity-page/entity-514/
  3. https://www.gov.mo/pt/entity-page/entity-514/
  4. "Ambulance". Macau Red Cross. Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2014-12-29.
  5. "Lei n.º 2/2008" (in Portuguese) – via Imprensa Oficial.
  6. "Descrição de distintivos". Fire Services Bureau.
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