The lights at the former headquarters of the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) at Caroline Hill in Causeway Bay were officially turned off early last month, marking the end of the facility's historic mission. Between 1966 and 2005, “Caroline Hill in Causeway Bay” was the synonym of the EMSD headquarters, and its transformation was a testament to the development of Hong Kong.

Construction of the first building at the former Caroline Hill headquarters commenced in 1954, and the EMSD took up the mission of training manpower for the electrical and mechanical (E&M) trades in 1955. At that time, the EMSD used Whitfield Barracks in Tsim Sha Tsui as a temporary training ground until the Apprentice Training Centre, a well-equipped training building at the former Caroline Hill headquarters, was built in 1975. Since then, the EMSD has provided training programmes to train engineers, technicians and skilled workers for the E&M trades, which has laid down a solid foundation for our manpower resources. Over the past 60 years, the EMSD has trained over 5 000 professional and skilled workers and the Apprentice Training Centre has become the cradle of E&M talents for Hong Kong.

Back in those days, trainees in their boiler suits shuffled through the Apprentice Training Centre and training workshops and passed tall trees in the courtyards as they attended classes and practice. Teenage years were happy and joyful for them, and lifelong friendships among peers were forged. After graduation, they pursued different career paths, with some of them joining other organisations. However, they share the same goal of serving the community in their respective posts. Currently, the EMSD recruits about 200 engineering trainees and technician trainees each year to inject new blood into the E&M trades.

In the 1950s and 1960s, the EMSD was best known for its vehicle workshops and vehicle repairing services in the community. The Caroline Hill vehicle workshops, a golden brand for many decades, held the major responsibility for repairing the entire fleet of government vehicles until its relocation to Chai Wan in mid-2014. The most memorable battle of the Caroline Hill vehicle workshops was fought during the SARS outbreak in Hong Kong in 2003, when the medical personnel across the territory made an all-out effort to combat the epidemic. However, many E&M contractors were afraid of contracting the disease and therefore refused to send their staff to hospitals to provide support. To ensure that ambulance services would not be affected, the Caroline Hill vehicle workshops deployed dedicated personnel to provide disinfection, repair and maintenance services. Such a selfless, fearless and professional move is not only worthy of our respect, but has also united all the EMSD colleagues and tided them over challenges and difficulties.

One of the important challenges faced by the EMSD was its transformation in the 1990s from a conventional government department to a self-financing department operating under the Electrical and Mechanical Services Trading Fund. In those days, many colleagues were anxious and worried about losing their jobs. However, by serving with care and dedication as well as continuously improving the quality and efficiency of its services, the EMSD has excelled. Not only has the return rate of the Trading Fund exceeded the target, the department has also scored high ratings in customer and staff satisfaction surveys in recent years. Its scope of services has also expanded from vehicle repair in the early days to a wide range of services covering work for the airport, hospitals and transport and communications facilities, as well as the promotion of safety regulations and energy efficiency.

Over the past decades, the former Caroline Hill headquarters has witnessed the various development stages of the EMSD. Unfortunately, the space and facilities it provided could not keep pace with the department’s progress. While the department kept changing with the times, so too did Causeway Bay, where it was located. For example, dining and entertainment services in the typhoon shelter there have already moved to the area around Paterson Street, the Hong Kong Stadium has been redeveloped, the former tram depot on Russell Street has been relocated and redeveloped, and St. Paul’s Hospital and a number of private projects near the former Caroline Hill headquarters have also taken on a new look after redevelopment. All these point to the continued and steady development of Hong Kong through flexible deployment of our precious resources and continuous value enhancement.

Today, given the urgent need for space for housing, office, retail and hotel purposes, we will rezone the former site of the Caroline Hill headquarters as soon as possible to release land for optimal development. The site is certain to bring a new look to the district in future and benefit the overall development of Hong Kong.