Buzz over firefighters ending hornet service
Print Edition
CITY residents who find hornets have built a nest in their homes will soon have to pay to have it removed.
For yesterday the fire department said that it has begun to transfer non-urgent reports about removing hornets’ nests to professional companies.
The department said it will only cover urgent cases or those that can’t be handled by such companies in time.
This move will leave firefighters able to concentrate on their core duties, officials said.
But it means that the once-free service has become a paid-for private service.
According to a fire department official surnamed Zheng, about 30 percent of calls crews receive are for things like opening locked doors or helping trapped cats.
These have become a burden to the already overloaded department and affects its duty to put out fires and save lives, said Zheng.
Every year it receives more than 5,000 reports of hornets’ nests, mainly between July to September.
Shanghai Daily dialed 119 yesterday to report a hornets’ nest and the operator recommended a pest control company, which charges between 150 (US$24) yuan and 300 yuan to remove them indoors. The price is higher in high buildings or outdoors.
This move has created something of a buzz online and proved controversial.
A woman, surnamed Wu, said: “It’s part of a firefighter’s job, isn’t it?
“As we are tax payers, why do we have to pay for such services again?”
Fire official Zheng said firefighters had traditionally offered this service as there were no professional companies in the niche.
But such voluntary services have started to impact on the fire department’s ability to meet its core duties — putting out fires, fire safety and emergency rescues.
“A call requires a fire truck to respond and each truck has to be equipped with six to seven firefighters. However one fire station has only 3 to 4 trucks usually,” said Zheng.
“And just setting up and takes at least 15 minutes.
“If fire breaks out or someone is threatening to commit suicide, firefighters might be unable to get there in time,” added the official.
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