The Fire Services Department should have sent two teams of fire engines when it received calls from two locations in the early stages of the Garley Building fire, the inquiry heard yesterday.
The department received the first report of fire in a lift on the third floor of the building at 4.47 pm last November, followed by another report from a unit on the 14th floor a minute later.
Fire Services Department Deputy Director John Tsang Kwong-yu admitted it would have been better to have sent two fire-fighting teams.
'The officer at the control centre should have sent two sets of fire engines if he thought there were two fires.' But he said it was a subjective matter because much of the information from callers was incorrect judging from past experience.
Four fire engines and an ambulance were initially sent to the scene because all fires are regarded as number one alarms at first.
Mr Tsang agreed the first few minutes after the fire broke out were important for fire fighting and escaping.
