Secretary for Security Wong Sio Chak says that the police will start recruiting volunteers next month for the government’s civil protection work, pledging that the authorities will ensure the volunteers’ safety while participating in civil protection.
Wong made the remarks during Monday’s Q&A session in the legislature’s hemicycle about his portfolio’s policy guidelines for next year.
The city’s new civil protection law came into force on September 15, which creates an accreditation and registration system for volunteers assisting the government in its civil protection work. Those who want to provide assistance and support to the government’s civil protection work on a voluntary basis have to be registered with, and accredited by the Unitary Police Service (SPU), the duties of which also include overseeing and coordinating the city’s civil protection work, according to the law.
Only local residents can apply to be a volunteer for the city’s civil protection work.
Accepted applicants have to take part in a mandatory training programme and pass an assessment or a test first before they are accredited by the Unitary Police Service. Volunteers, whose work will be limited to assisting professional civil protection staff, will be covered by a mandatory insurance. They will only provide voluntary services in the aftermath of disasters – not during disasters.
The mandatory training provided by the Unitary Police Service also aims to raise volunteers’ knowledge of civil protection and their professional skills.
According to the law, officially known as Civil Protection Legal System, volunteers will provide assistance to the authorities’ rescue operations for affected residents, and assist the authorities in getting the city back to normal after a disaster strikes. Volunteers will take part in the government’s public awareness campaigns concerning self-protection and disaster risk reduction.
During Monday’s plenary session, Wong said that the Unitary Police Service is drafting a plan on how to recruit volunteers for the authorities’ civil protection work, adding that the drafting was expected to be completed later this month, before the police could start the recruitment drive next month. He noted that the recruitment will be carried out through an application process open to local residents.
Wong said that the Unitary Police Service will assess applicants’ personal conditions before arranging for them to attend the respective training sessions suitable for them. Afterwards, the authorities will arrange for those who pass the training to join the teams suitable for them, Wong said.
Wong underlined that the volunteers will only assume assistant roles in the city’s civil protection work. Wong said that based on the different applicants’ conditions, the authorities will arrange for some volunteers to take part in their public awareness campaigns or other tasks involving low risk or even no risk. Those with the respective professional skills will be deployed to remove debris with large machines in the aftermath of disasters, which involves a relatively higher risk, Wong said, adding that the government was discussing with the respective professional associations the feasibility of urging their members to join the civil protection work on a voluntary basis.
Wong underlined that the authorities will do their utmost to minimise the risk that the civil protection volunteers will face, ensuring the full protection of volunteers’ safety.
Qingmao checkpoint project
Meanwhile, Wong also said that the government expects the Qingmao border checkpoint project to be completed in the second quarter of next year.
The Qingmao checkpoint in Ilha Verde will be a land border crossing for pedestrians only, the first of its kind in Macau.
Wong said that the Macau Public Security Forces will install 100 e-channels at the Qingmao checkpoint. Macau’s law enforcement agencies will also carry out tests of the checkpoint’s ability to handle traveller flows, together with their Zhuhai counterparts, Wong said.
Fire drills and other exercises which aim to raise the authorities’ ability to tackle emergency incidents will also be carried out at the checkpoint, Wong said.
A joint Macau-mainland immigration and customs clearance system officially known as “joint inspection and one-time release” will be adopted at the future checkpoint – a 24/7 operation – where travellers will be required to pass border controls only once when completing their departure and arrival formalities.
Meanwhile, Wong also said that the Fire Services Bureau (CB) and the Lands, Public Works and Transport Bureau (DSSOPT) will jointly announce the chosen location for the city’s permanent warehouse for hazardous materials in the near future. He reaffirmed that the chosen location will be “very remote”, with no residential buildings nearby.
Secretary for Security Wong Sio Chak gestures during Monday’s Q&A session about his portfolio’s 2021 policy guidelines in the Legislative Assembly’s (AL) hemicycle. Photo: GCS
