China's comprehensive fire and rescue force completes over 1.2 mln missions

BEIJING, Nov. 6 (Xinhua) -- China's comprehensive fire and rescue force has completed over 1.2 million emergency rescue missions in its first year of service, an official said Wednesday.

The force has evacuated and rescued more than 660,000 people in major emergencies since it was formed one year ago, Shen Zhanli, spokesperson of the Ministry of Emergency Management, told a press conference.

The force has set up 27 professional rescue teams specializing in earthquakes and mountain, water and air emergencies and six teams dealing with cross-border forest and grassland fires.

Staff of the force consist of around 200,000 former firefighters and the forest force of the armed police, as well as over 14,000 new firefighters.