Fire Services funeral to be held with full honours for Senior Fireman (Posthumous) Ho Wai-ho
The Fire Services Department (FSD) will hold an official funeral service with full honours for the late Senior Fireman (Posthumous), Mr Ho Wai-ho, at the Universal Funeral Parlour, Hung Hom, Kowloon, on December 19 (Friday).
The FSD will set up a condolence area (location marked in attachment) near the Universal Funeral Parlour for members of the public to pay their last respects in memory of Senior Fireman Ho from 9am to 9.30am. Members of the public are advised to proceed to the area by the route indicated by on-site staff.
The Fire Services funeral for government officials, community dignitaries, and FSD colleagues will be held at 10am. The Director of Fire Services, Mr Andy Yeung, will attend. The funeral will not be open to public. The hearse will leave the funeral parlour at 10.30am after the official ceremony. A service contingent composed of government officials and FSD colleagues will parade outside the funeral parlour to pay their last respects to Senior Fireman Ho. Members of the public can make reference to the route taken by the hearse and pay their last tribute.
The hearse will pass through Tai Po Tai Wo Road, Po Heung Street, Kwong Fuk Road, Tai Po Road - Yuen Chau Tsai, and arrive at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po (Tai Po Road - Yuen Chau Tsai/Kwong Wang Street roundabout) at about 11am. An on-site ceremony will be held for FSD colleagues and local dignitaries.
The hearse will then proceed to Sha Tin Fire Station, Sha Tin, via Tai Po Road - Sha Tin, Sha Tin Rural Committee Road and Yuen Wo Road. The hearse will arrive at around 11.30am. Mr Yeung will lead FSD colleagues in the forecourt of the fire station to pay last tributes to Senior Fireman Ho. Local dignitaries will also attend.
The cortège will then leave for Gallant Garden at Wo Hop Shek Cemetery for the burial service.
Gallant Garden, Photo souce: Government Images
The following is a brief biography of Senior Fireman (Posthumous), Mr Ho Wai-ho:
The late Senior Fireman, Mr Ho Wai-ho, was born in 1987. He joined the FSD as a fireman in 2016, with his meritorious service being recognised.
Throughout his nine years of service with the FSD, Senior Fireman Ho fully demonstrated himself as an industrious, polite and dedicated member who was eager to provide guidance to newcomers. He was well-respected by his colleagues. His solid professional competence, high efficiency and sound judgement were amply displayed in a number of firefighting and rescue operations.
While responding to a firefighting and rescue operation at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po on November 26, 2025, Mr Ho sustained serious injuries and sadly lost his life in the line of duty. The fire was later upgraded to a No. 5 alarm fire. His tragic death is a great loss not only to the FSD, but also to the community at large. Being courageous, selfless and dedicated, he will no doubt stay in the minds of Hong Kong people forever. In recognition of his fearless dedication in confronting the fire, the FSD has conferred the honorary title of Senior Fireman (Posthumous) on the late Mr Ho.
Aged 37, Senior Fireman Ho is survived by his parents, an elder brother, a younger brother, and his fiancée.
Mr. Ho Wai Ho, Photo source: The Fire Services Department
DH announces latest situation of Legionnaires' disease cases
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health today (December 15) reported the latest number of Legionnaires' disease (LD) cases, and reminded the public of the importance of using and maintaining properly designed man-made water systems, adding that susceptible groups should strictly observe relevant precautions.
From December 7 to 13, the CHP recorded one imported LD case, involving a 72-year-old male patient who had underlying illnesses.He travelled to the Chinese Mainland during the incubation period.
The CHP is conducting epidemiological investigations to identify potential sources of infection and high-risk exposure. Initial investigations revealed that it is a sporadic case. No epidemiological linkages have been established between this case and other confirmed cases previously recorded in Hong Kong.
As of December 13, 157 LD cases had been recorded this year. In 2024 and 2023, there were 135 and 121 LD cases respectively.
Men, people aged over 50, smokers, alcoholics and persons with weakened immunity are more susceptible to LD. Some situations may also increase the risk of infection, including poor maintenance of water systems; living in areas with old water systems, cooling towers or fountains; using electric water heaters, whirlpool spas or hot water spring spas; and recent stays in hotels or ships.
Legionellae are found in various environmental settings and grow well in warm water (20 to 45 degrees Celsius). They can be found in aqueous environments such as water tanks, hot and cold water systems, cooling towers, whirlpool spas, water fountains, humidifiers and home respiratory devices that support breathing. People may become infected when they breathe in contaminated droplets (aerosols) and mist generated by artificial water systems, or when handling garden soil, compost and potting mixes.
Immunocompromised persons should:
Use sterile or boiled water for drinking, tooth brushing and mouth rinsing;
Avoid using humidifiers, or other mist- or aerosol-generating devices; and
If using humidifiers, or other mist- or aerosol-generating devices, fill the water tank with only sterile or cooled freshly boiled water, and not water directly from the tap. Also, clean and maintain humidifiers/devices regularly according to manufacturers' instructions. Never leave stagnant water in a humidifier/device. Empty the water tank, wipe all surfaces dry, and change the water daily.
The public should observe the health advice below:
Observe personal hygiene;
Do not smoke and avoid alcohol consumption;
Strainers in water taps and shower heads should be inspected, cleaned, descaled and disinfected regularly or at a frequency recommended by the manufacturer;
If a fresh-water plumbing system is properly maintained, it is not necessary to install domestic water filters. Use of water filters is not encouraged as clogging occurs easily, which can promote growth of micro-organisms. In case water filters are used, the pore size should be 0.2 micrometres (µm) or less and the filter needs to be changed periodically according to the manufacturer's recommendations;
Drain and clean water tanks of buildings at least quarterly;
Drain or purge for at least one minute infrequently used water outlets (e.g. water taps, shower heads and hot water outlets) and stagnant points of the pipework weekly or before use;
Seek and follow doctors' professional advice regarding the use and maintenance of home respiratory devices and use only sterile water (not distilled or tap water) to clean and fill the reservoir. Clean and maintain the device regularly according to the manufacturer's instructions. After cleaning/disinfection, rinse the device with sterile water, cooled freshly boiled water or water filtered with 0.2 µm filters. Never leave stagnant water in the device. Empty the water tank, keep all surfaces dry, and change the water daily; and
When handling garden soil, compost and potting mixes:
Wear gloves and a face mask;
Water gardens and compost gently using low pressure;
Open composted potting mixes slowly and make sure the opening is directed away from the face;
Wet the soil to reduce dust when potting plants; and
Avoid working in poorly ventilated places such as enclosed greenhouses.
The public may visit the CHP'sLD page, theCode of Practice for Prevention of LDand theHousekeeping Guidelines for Cold and Hot Water Systems for Building Managementof the Prevention of LD Committee, and the CHP'srisk-based strategyfor prevention and control of LD.
Source: AI-found images
