Fire officers to maintain continuous presence at command centres

Vietnam’s People’s Army Newspaper has reported that new regulations will require fire police officers across the country to maintain continuous 24-hour shifts to handle fire and rescue alerts.

According to the outlet, the Fire Prevention, Fire Fighting and Rescue Police Department must assign one department leader and one officer to be on duty at the department’s Command Information Center.

At the provincial and municipal levels, local Fire Prevention, Fire Fighting and Rescue Police units must also assign a department leader and a team commander to remain at headquarters around the clock.

Sub-units including regional firefighting and rescue teams, police fire prevention groups, and river rescue teams are each required to assign a commander to remain on site to respond to emergencies.

Shifts are divided to ensure that at least two personnel are present to process alerts at all times. The provincial police director will determine the specific rotation system depending on local conditions.

Fire alarm centres and locations designated by authorities

The newspaper stated that the designated units responsible for receiving and processing emergency information include the Provincial Police Command Information Center where applicable, the Fire Prevention, Fire Fighting and Rescue Police Department, and regional or river-based fire rescue teams.

In addition to these fixed locations, other centres may also be appointed by relevant authorities to receive fire and rescue information.

The new rules outline how these centres must receive alerts from phone hotlines 113, 114 and 115, as well as from direct public reports and emergency call applications.

Reports may also arrive via the Fire Alarm Transmission Database System or through police unit phone numbers, in line with legal provisions.

Procedures for handling emergency calls and reports

The newspaper explained that the contents of emergency alerts must include full identification details of the caller, the address and time of the incident, type and scale of the fire or accident, and any details concerning trapped individuals.

Additional information should include the condition of those involved and the potential for the fire to spread.

In the event that an incident occurs outside the designated operational area of a fire unit, the officer receiving the report must immediately notify the unit responsible for that location.

They must also inform their own commander if their unit is geographically closer to the incident, in which case a response may be initiated or coordinated.

Commanders authorised to direct mobilisation if needed

The circular authorises commanders to deploy local personnel and equipment if proximity allows for a faster response than waiting for the designated unit to arrive.

Officers on duty must remain prepared to provide support to other fire and rescue units when requested.

This measure, according to the People’s Army Newspaper, aims to increase response efficiency in remote or jurisdictionally complex scenarios.

Coordination between units across jurisdictions will be prioritised to ensure timely and appropriate mobilisation of resources.

Equipment and reporting responsibilities set for duty officers

Officers assigned to emergency duty must manage and operate communications equipment, as well as access and use relevant fire prevention and rescue databases.

They are also required to record every incoming report in the Fire Alarm and Rescue Situation Information Receiving and Processing Book.

The report stated that these officers must be proficient in handling alert systems and must ensure all information is accurately logged and managed in accordance with internal procedures.

This documentation is intended to support response actions and allow tracking of incident data for oversight purposes.

Vietnam fire police implement 24-hour emergency response shifts: Summary

Vietnam’s fire police must now maintain continuous shifts for fire and rescue alert processing.

The information was reported by the People’s Army Newspaper.

National and local fire police departments must assign leaders and officers to 24-hour duty.

Fire reports are received through designated call lines, apps and direct public contact.

Each shift must include at least two officers or soldiers.

Duty locations include central command centres and regional or river-based units.

If an incident is outside a unit’s zone, information must be passed to the correct jurisdiction.

Units can act if they are closer than the assigned responders or when requested for support.

Duty officers must operate communications equipment and emergency databases.

All reports must be logged in the official incident book.

Deployment of personnel is authorised based on proximity and available resources.