A Study On The Feasibilities And Necessities Of Assigning The Role Of Government Composite Emergency Rescue To Chinese Fire Force

The Fire Department in china is a specialized organnization performing fire resistance function in traditional sense. Over the recent years, it has volunteered to expand its role by shouldering rescue tasks besides extingushing fire. It has virtually amounted as a main force of emergency rescue in China. On the basis of some related data from both domestic/home and abroad, this thesis, from the perspective of public management and unexpected public crisis management, argues the significance,necessities and feasibilities of having the fire force as a special organization to assume the task of emergency rescue, which has yet not been confirmed by the Chinese government, in an attempt to provide some insights for governments at all levels into system establishment and team construction.This thesis consists of an introduction and five chapters. Chapter 1 discourses on the origin of public crisis management in china and the current construction status of Chinese emergency rescue force. Public security is a fundamental issue throughout the progress of human survival and development. The public security situation in China, a disaster-prone country, has become increasingly grim as the country steps into a period of social transition and prominent contradictions in recent years. After the 2003 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak, the CPC Central Committee and the State Council have attached great importance to management against public crisis and raised the claim of accelerating the construction of social emergency system. However, due to the scattered power into a number of departments, the failure to establish a unified mechanism and the sudden commencement and chain reaction characteristics of disasters, the problems exposed under the traditional disaster response mechanism of"sub-sector, sub-region and sub-disaster"management turn out to be so prominent that it can no longer meet the growing needs against emergencies. Meanwhile, the low rescue efficiency arises from functional overlapping, departments separation, strength scattering, and hence a deviation from unified command. Besides, the many types of secure teams under different departments result in repeated input and idled staff and equipment as well, a great waste of resources.Chapter 2 briefly introduces the current state of the emergency rescue systems in the major developed countries and the roles of fire agencies in those countries. As represented by the developed countries in North America and Europe, the international community inclines to take coordinating agencies under unified command of the government, professional teams, polished equipments, perfect emergency planning as its basic modes of operation. The majority countries share the rescue force construction mode of imposing the relief task against various types of disasters and accidents on fire force with a view to bringing its multiple function into full play.Chapter 3 discusses the feasibilities and necessities of having the fire force to assume the role of emergency rescue. As the major contents of the government's efforts to perform social management and public service, to strengthen the rescue team building and to boost the public security claim to be an inevitable option in the process of constructing a harmonious society. The domestic Fire force enjoys obvious advantages in such factors as management system, quick response, equipment, experience, planning, information technology and intellectual support. To build a major rescue system on the strength of fire force can help to cut down on the number of the many relief organizations, to avoid functional and organizational overlap and a bloated staff as well, to integrate social resources, to decrease government investments, to reduce administrative costs, to provide convenience for the masses to search for help in disasters, to develop rescue efficiency , and to improve the government's image.Chapter four lists the challenges that the public security and fire force face in their efforts to take the role of composite emergency rescue and some counterpart measures are suggested thereafter. The challenges include Lagging legislation, inadequate strength , insufficient funds, low efficiency ,and etc. While the counter plans put forward involve the efforts to improve laws and regulations related to emergency rescue clarifying the fire force's dominant position ; to integrate the existing rescue teams and expand the role of the fire forces; to enhance the authorized strength and vigorously develop various forms of fire brigades; to increase input and establish a multivariate and multichannel funding mechanism; to further improve social interaction mechanism and to up build a command platform under the unified control of the government. Besides, the fire force, in undertaking the glorious mission, is supposed to take positive actions to transform its function by focusing on planning and practicing and the development of rescue abilities.Chapter five provides conclusions and outlook for the whole thesis. A number of domestic cities and provinces have taken a welcome step forward in their efforts to integrate teams and strengthen composite rescue power construction. It will ultimately be the only and best choice for governments at all levels to assign the role of composite rescue to fire forces.