New heads appointed to correctional and fire services departments

Wong Kwok-hing and Andy Yeung Yan-kin have been promoted to head Hong Kong’s Correctional Services Department and Fire Services Department respectively, the government announced on Monday.

Wong, Deputy Commissioner of the Correctional Services Department, will take office as commissioner on Thursday. Wong will be succeeding Woo Ying-ming, who has held the post since November 2018.

Yeung, who is Deputy Director of Fire Services, will take up his new position this Saturday from Joseph Leung Wai-hung. Leung has been on pre-retirement leave.

"The two appointees have proven leadership and management skills, as well as abundant departmental operational experience,” said Secretary for the Civil Service Patrick Nip Tak-kuen.

“I am confident that they will lead the respective departments in meeting the challenges ahead, including coping with the current severe situation under the fifth wave of the epidemic.”

"Mr Woo has served with professionalism and commitment in the civil service throughout the past 33 years. As Commissioner of Correctional Services, he has led the Department to face many challenges and to excel in providing a secure environment for persons in custody, and helping them rehabilitate and reintegrate as law-abiding citizens,” Nip said.

On Leung’s retirement, Nip said, "Mr Leung has served with zeal and dedication in the civil service throughout the past 36 years. As Director of Fire Services, he has made sustained efforts in enhancing fire fighting and rescue capabilities of the Fire Services Department, and in promoting fire safety in the community as well as providing efficient emergency ambulance services to the public.”

Earlier this month, the CSD revealed that about 1,000 persons in custody, most of whom were newly admitted inmates, were infected with Covid-19 amid Hong Kong’s largest epidemic wave yet.