Law dedicated to firefighters taking shape

The draft of China's first law dedicated to national firefighters and rescue personnel was submitted to the standing committee of the nation's top legislature for its reading on Wednesday.

The draft was jointly conceived by the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Emergency Management.

It aims to regulate the management of national firefighting and rescue personnel, protect their lawful rights and interests, strengthen oversight and promote proper performance of duties, according to an explanatory note submitted to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress.

Vice-Minister of Emergency Management Xu Jia'ai said in the explanatory note that the draft has both tightened management of the national firefighting and rescue force and provided corresponding support in terms of benefits and treatment.

China's comprehensive national firefighting and rescue teams are the main force and national team in emergency response, he said.

Xu noted that in 2018, in line with Party and state institutional reform, Chinese firefighters, once under public security authorities or from armed forest police units responsible for forest fire control, were withdrawn from active service. They were placed under the Ministry of Emergency Management, leading to the establishment of the national comprehensive firefighting and rescue force.

The draft consists of seven chapters and 47 articles. It stipulates that managerial and command personnel as well as professional technical staff in the national firefighting and rescue force are part of the civil service, while firefighters are classified as state employees.

It specifies their main duties, including firefighting and emergency rescue operations, as well as fire supervision and management.

It also requires those personnel to obey orders and follow command, and prohibits behavior such as passivity or hesitation during missions, leaving the team without authorization, or failing to return without justified reasons.

On supervision and disciplinary measures, the draft says that those dismissed for refusing to perform duties at fire or rescue scenes will be barred from being recruited or hired as civil servants or staff of public institutions.

The draft also calls for improved systems for recruitment, assessment and training, as well as a dedicated exit management mechanism.

On social benefits and treatment, it clarifies that required funding would be included in budgets, and that firefighting and rescue personnel would, in accordance with relevant rules, receive basic salaries, allowances, bonuses and social insurance, among other benefits.

The draft further calls for stronger occupational safety protections by providing the necessary environment. It also includes provisions linking policies on medical treatment, retirement and compensation.

Before being submitted for the review of the NPC Standing Committee, the NPC's Social Development Affairs Committee reviewed the draft in advance.

In its review opinion submitted to lawmakers, the committee said the national comprehensive firefighting and rescue force shoulders key responsibilities in preventing and defusing major safety risks and responding to various disasters and accidents, and is a core force in emergency response.

The enactment of such a law would help improve capabilities to respond to major and extraordinarily serious disasters and accidents, and more effectively safeguard people's lives and property as well as social stability, it said.