Laptop reported stolen at emergency services training school
Latest problem to dog recently-opened centre
Police have launched a criminal investigation after a paramedic’s laptop computer was stolen from a locker at a training school for emergency services.
Officers got a report from the 34-year-old paramedic at the Fire and Ambulance Services Academy on Pak Shing Kok Road, Tseung Kwan O, shortly before 9.15am yesterday.
The victim was understood to be a senior ambulanceman, surnamed Yeung, who attended an in-service training course in the school.
Initial investigation showed he had locked his Apple MacBook, worth about HK$9,000, in his locker on the ground floor male changing room of the school at about 8am on Monday before he attended the course, a police source said.
“The laptop computer was found missing when he opened his locker at about 5pm on the same day,” the source said.
He said officers found no prising mark on the locker or the padlock. it is understood no other properties were stolen from the locker.
A police spokesman said the case has been classified as “theft” and crime-squad officers from the Kwun Tong police district were investigating. So far, no one has been arrested.
The Fire Services Department said it was very concerned about the incident and had reminded staff at the training school to safeguard their personal property. It also pledged to review security measures at the school.
The training school, which only formally opened in March, has been plagued with trouble since then.
About a fortnight ago, a dozen firefighters and paramedics – two station officers, eight firemen and two ambulance officers – who were all on probation – were found sneaking out of the school without permission.
Their truancies were exposed when they failed to show for an emergency response training session on the night of August 11, the eve of their graduation. Local media reported they sneaked out to hand their relatives and friends admission tickets for the next day’s passing-out parade.
It was understood 11 of them later resigned.
According to the department, some of them turned in the resignations when they were met by investigators in an internal probe on August 12 and 15.
And about three weeks ago, the department called the Centre for Health Protection after 75 trainees at the school developed suspected food poisoning.
The 74 men and one woman, aged from 20 to 33, had diarrhoea and stomach pains about one to 28 hours after dinner at the school on August 2.
The Centre for Health Protection said all those affected did not seek medical attention and required no hospitalisation.
