Hong Kong fire service reports surge in job applications following easing of recruitment requirements
- Director of Fire Services Andy Yeung also reveals pass rate for fitness tests has risen from 60 per cent to around 90 per cent after new physical standards were put in place
- He says Fire Services Department is looking to fill 727 vacancies for operational posts this year
A recent relaxation of recruitment rules has resulted in the number of job applicants for Hong Kong’s fire service surging 67 per cent and fitness test pass rates rising 30 percentage points, according to the department’s chief.
Director of Fire Services Andy Yeung Yan-kin revealed on Thursday that the pass rate for fitness tests across firefighting and ambulance roles rose from 60 per cent to around 90 per cent after new physical standards were put in place on December 1.
“But I must stress that this is an entry requirement, during our 26-week training we will strengthen our colleagues’ fitness standard to an acceptable level,” Yeung said, noting the relaxation measure had been effective.
Eyesight and fitness requirements for operational posts have also been relaxed to allow candidates who wear glasses into station officer roles. The time limit for all tests has been extended to 90 seconds with the number of challenges cut, in a bid to reduce staff shortages in the frontline fire and ambulance service.
As of November last year, 3 per cent of fire jobs were unfilled, with 90 vacancies for station officers, the most difficult position for which to find staff.
Yeung said the Fire Services Department was looking to fill 727 vacancies across its operational posts this year, including 145 spots for officer-level staff.
The department received 463 applications for firefighting and ambulance posts between December and January 14, a 67 per cent surge compared with the same period a year earlier.
