The extinguisher

Members of the Palace Museum fire station undertake a routine patrol. Cai Rui, 37, a staff member at the Palace Museum fire station in the area, is one such person who works to prevent fires and is there to deal with accidents or emergencies if any occur at the square. "As a firefighter, in other places you work to extinguish fires, but in the Tian'anmen area you work to prevent any signs of smoke," Cai tells China Daily. "We have many drills to make sure firefighters bear all plans clearly in mind so they would not mess up if emergencies occur, and our actions would be as fast as possible," says Cai. Cai and his colleagues patrol the 0.72-square-km museum every day to check if there are any potential risks, like visitors throwing cigarette butts near trees or into garbage bins, and if the firefighting devices, including 168 fire hydrants and more than 4,000 fire extinguishers, are in good condition.