With a view to providing users with a convenient, comfortable, healthy and safe living or working environment, buildings nowadays are normally installed with various kinds of electrical and mechanical engineering installations, such as electrical installations, lighting system, air-conditioning system, lifts, water supply and drainage systems, fire alarm and fire extinguishing facilities, security and communication systems, etc. The discipline of fire engineering has been providing buildings with engineering services related to fire safety installations. Engineering services generally include design, installation, repair and maintenance work, which enable users of buildings such as offices, hospitals, schools, factories or living quarters to enjoy a safe environment.

Since early 70’s, fire engineering in Hong Kong had to be carried out by registered fire service installation contractors and the existing three-class system has been implemented effectively for over 30 years. The existing classification system has broadly divided all contractors into three major categories, namely the first class that is responsible for automatic detection and fire alarm system; the second class that is responsible for fire-fighting systems which carry water or some other fire extinguishing medium such as sprinkler, fire hydrant, hose reel, etc.; and the third class that is responsible for portable fire extinguishing equipment. The Association of Registered Fire Service Installation Contractors of Hong Kong Limited (FSICA) was set up in early 70’s, with an aspiration to enhance the professional status of the Industry and various fire safety standards, and to progressively develop modern fire-fighting systems by exchanging and sharing technology with the Fire Service Department through continuous contact. The FSICA also frequently organizes various kinds of special topic lectures and seminars to enrich the knowledge of practitioners. In the early days, the practitioners in fire engineering normally studied mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, or building services engineering. Only until 90’s fire engineering have its own professional courses.

The fire engineering industry has laid extremely great emphasis on on-the-job training for long, and many organizations have their own comprehensive, versatile and systematic training mechanism. Nevertheless, if there is integrated and systematic staff competency training for all related organizations, it will certainly give greater benefits to the enhancement of the staff competency and the standard of the Industry.

Hong Kong has become a financial centre in Asia, with an undeniable international status. However, Hong Kong’s success today is definitely built on the long-term silent endeavours of a group of enthusiastic and enterprising professionals in various sectors. As a discipline of the electrical and mechanical industry, the fire engineering team has actively participated in various infrastructure plans. In respect of the improvement of the fire safety of buildings, the practitioners in different positions in the Industry including engineers, technicians, and skilled workers have paid different levels of efforts in building Hong Kong. Following the development of the society, there will be more new and high-rise buildings in Hong Kong and the demand for fire service installations and equipment will continue to change. The Industry also needs to make continuous improvement accordingly, implying that fire engineering industry will bear a greater responsibility.

In face of the economic slump in the past few years and the cessation of land selling by the Government, the fire engineering industry in Hong Kong has suffered a blow to a certain extent. However, since the Hong Kong Government needs to progressively upgrade the fire safety facilities of old buildings, it has passed the Fire Safety (Commercial Premises) Ordinance and its amendments successively, regulating commercial buildings before 1987 to improve their fire safety measures according to current standards. This created many positions for the fire engineering industry in the downturn period of the construction industry. In order to raise the fire safety standards for old multi-purpose buildings and residential buildings, the Government has formulated the Fire Safety (Buildings) Ordinance and will provide the Industry with many job opportunities for fire safety improvement works. No change has been made to the three-class system for registered fire service installation contractors in Hong Kong for over 30 years in the past. The old system gives one a reliable impression. Nevertheless, the existing system must respond to service targets’ continuous demand for improvement. The Fire Services Department began to review registered fire installation contractor system a few years ago. The information from the Fire Services Department shows that the classification of registered fire installation contractors will be changed from the three classes at present to four classes in future, making the classification system more perfect and more capable to satisfy the requirements of the Industry.

As local economy improves, the demand for fire engineering experts increases. Along with the active development of Macau in recent years, the many construction projects have also directly and indirectly increased the demand for fire engineering practitioners. Besides, the surge of Mainland’s economy and in the number of individual visitors, China’s entry to World Trade and Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA), etc. have opened up new opportunities for local fire engineering personnel. As people’s living standard rises, business opportunities in Mainland are found everywhere. Heavy industry, light industry, manufacturing industry and various kinds of building constructions, etc have attracted many factories to invest in the Mainland, thus consolidating China’s economic status invisibly. It can be seen that the demand for related technical manpower will become stronger in order to cope with the development of the industries. Backed by China and facing the world, the elite of the fire engineering industry in Hong Kong will be an ideal choice for many Mainland factories that intend to enter the international market.

Nowadays, although individual universities, training institutes or some large enterprises have provided pre-employment technical or on-the-job training courses related to fire engineering industry, these courses cannot fully cater for the development of the fire engineering industry in different domains. As a result, for the frontline practitioners in some domains like technical staff, designers and maintenance technicians, etc., they in general can only learn from their experienced colleagues or masters to deal with common routine work upon employment. Along with the downfall of traditional “apprenticeship”, quite many practitioners become unable to fully master formal professional knowledge and the application of new technology related to the Industry.