Home / News
Luo Donglian missed her chance to be a volunteer when Beijing hosted the Olympic Games in 2008, but she is making up for that this year.
Luo, 25, is volunteering as an information consultant for the APEC meeting taking place in Huairou district from Nov 5 to 11, and said it is the best way to make up for her failure to participate in the Olympics six years ago.
"I was too young and only wanted to go back to my hometown in Jiangxi province at that time. But when my college roommates, who were volunteers at that worldwide sports festival, shared their interesting experiences and told me what they gained during the activity, I admired them," she said.
"One of my roommates even met her current boyfriend in the volunteer team. How lucky and romantic," she said.
Having heard those stories, Luo registered as an APEC volunteer in August, when the district's prosecuting authority, where she works, called for volunteers from among its staff members.
Luo and 15 colleagues have trained since the end of August, with each training session lasting at least two and a half hours, she said.
"I'm responsible for giving information, such as how to reach destinations, which routes can save the most time and which public transportation is the most convenient for visitors," she said.
Luo said around 700 volunteers are providing services around the main meeting venue, and they are divided into three teams, including medical aid and information consultants.
"We are told to assist police officers to keep security around the meeting place, and asked to report if we see anything suspicious," Luo said, adding that security training is necessary for every volunteer.
From about three months ago, the presence of police vehicles, including SWAT cars, has increased in the district, and many officers have been required to work 24-hour shifts, in a bid to ensure the security of the meetings and to rapidly respond to any emergencies.
In addition, every volunteer should also master historical and traffic knowledge to give quick answers to visitors and establish a positive image of the district, she added.
At the end of October, the Beijing Public Security Bureau invited more residents to become volunteers to improve the security of the city.
The capital's security not only depends on police officers, but also on residents from all walks of life, the authority said in a statement.
It said the public is the foundation to counter security risks, such as terrorism, and called for them to learn self-protection and enhance their security awareness.
The authority added that it will build a volunteer team against terrorism in the near future, and will provide every member with relevant training and issue certificates to them.
