Beijing city authorities yesterday hailed a fire department plan
to release information on fires and disasters as quickly as
possible.
The capital’s goal is to ensure that each district, county or
department circulates information quickly.
Sun Wenzhong, deputy director of the city’s fire department,
announced on Sunday that his department will appoint a spokesperson
for every fire. He or she will be on site to provide details on
rescue efforts, casualties and other information.
According to Sun, the spokesperson system is created in response
to the public’s right to know about fires and to increase their
safety consciousness.
The system also protects journalists’ rights to cover news at
the scene.
At present, there are rarely spokespeople available at accident
sites and information is virtually always delayed.
The latest example was the Da’anshan Coal Mine disaster, where
ten workers were killed. During the four days of rescue and
recovery operations, no one was designated to provide information.
Journalists were not allowed near the site on the grounds that they
might hamper rescue efforts.
Another case in point is the recent fire at the 700-year-old
Huguo Temple in Beijing’s Xicheng District. Nearly 10 days have
passed since the blaze that destroyed part of the temple, but no
government official or department has claimed responsibility.
Many believe the spokesperson system will improve the
situation.
Depending on the seriousness of the fire, the spokesperson can
be an official at the scene, a person from the fire department or
other personnel designated by the authorities, said Sun.
He pointed out that the spokesperson will be prohibited from
revealing state secrets and journalists will not be allowed to
hinder the firefighters.
According to an official with the city’s news office, the
municipal government has been prompting its 28 districts and
counties as well as various departments to designate
spokespeople.
“They often cannot be contacted by media when they are really
needed,” said the official. Some officials are afraid of being
blamed, he said, and some are afraid of saying the wrong thing.
The official said the movement towards transparency and quick
reactions is evolving.
“Three years ago, information on an accident or unexpected event
would not be officially announced until it had been thoroughly
investigated,” he said. “But now, some basic facts, such as the
casualties, the number of the injured and missing will be declared
as soon as possible.”
(China Daily June 29, 2004)