The Fire Services Department handled a total of 7,557 calls of confirmed COVID-19 cases in 2020, with the involvement of 2,652 ambulance personnel and 37 fire personnel.

Issuing the department's year-end review today, it said among those involved members, 205 had handled infected patients and were subsequently arranged for examination and testing. Three ambulance personnel had been infected and they recovered after hospitalisation.

Furthermore, a total of 80 personnel completed the compulsory quarantine at quarantine centres after handling infected patients.

The department will keep a vigilant watch over the COVID-19 epidemic and maintain close liaison with the Hospital Authority and the Centre for Health Protection and do its utmost to assist the Government in fighting the disease.

Meanwhile, the department received more than 33,000 fire calls in 2020, a drop of 10.6% compared with the previous year. Ambulance calls dropped 16.1% to about 690,000.

Regarding plans for the year ahead, the department said it is actively exploring the use of new technologies to enhance the emergency services.

It will introduce the Implementation of Logistics Solution of Dangerous Drugs to enable effective monitoring of the stock level and expiry date of its dangerous drugs. It also plans to procure firefighting robots to reduce the risks faced by frontline personnel.

The department also plans to install more than 100 automated external defibrillators outside the fire stations and ambulance depots across the city for public access during emergencies.

An estimated 927 fire and ambulance personnel will be recruited this year, including 131 officers and 796 rank-and-file staff.