China marks fire prevention month with awards ceremony

With November marking China's annual National Fire Prevention Month, the central and local governments have carried out a series of activities to raise people's awareness of fire safety and deepen their understanding of firefighters' dedication and hard work.

The central government held the country's second commendation ceremony for outstanding firefighters on Wednesday.

Thirty were awarded the title of loyal guards in the firefighting sector, with Beijing firefighter Feng Zhen, 31, who drowned during a flood rescue in Beijing this year, receiving the award posthumously.

The first commendation ceremony for loyal guard firefighters was held in 2021, with this year's the first that commemorative medals were also awarded.

It is one of the several activities to mark National Fire Prevention Month.

With the theme "emphasizing prevention and prioritizing life", this year's event is using a variety of activities to publicize the importance of firefighting work and build a fire safety network for mass prevention and control, Emergency Management Minister Wang Xiangxi said at the launch ceremony on Nov 1.

To cultivate more professional firefighting personnel, the National Fire and Rescue Administration is holding the second National Vocational Skills Competition in the Fire Industry in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, from Wednesday to Sunday, along with the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, the All-China Federation of Trade Unions and the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League of China.

More than 340 competitors are scheduled to take part in six events, including fire rescue personnel, forest firefighters, fire communicators, search and rescue dog handlers, fire equipment maintenance personnel and fire facilities operators. The competition is being livestreamed so that people around the country can appreciate the contestants' multidimensional professional skills and learn more about firefighting.

The educational bureau and fire rescue detachment in Fuzhou, Fujian province, launched a pilot fire safety training course at Huawei Middle School on Monday. Wearing virtual reality glasses, students were invited to use virtual fire extinguishers, check for virtual fire hazards and simulate escaping from a fire to learn more about the causes, prevention and treatment of fires.

Shaoyang in Hunan province unveiled its first provincial fire safety education base on Wednesday.