Hohhot, March 25 (Xinhua) — To mark the 3·15 International Consumer Rights Day, local authorities in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region have launched a series of special campaigns targeting counterfeit and shoddy fire-fighting equipment, combining law enforcement crackdowns with public safety education to eliminate potential fire hazards at the source, local fire rescue departments announced on Tuesday.
Jointly organized by fire rescue teams, market supervision bureaus, public security departments and housing authorities, the campaigns have been carried out across cities including Hohhot, Ordos, Chifeng and Xilingol League. The key measures include special inspections on fire-fighting products, centralized destruction of counterfeit equipment, and popular science activities to teach the public how to identify genuine fire-fighting tools.
In Hohhot, a public lecture on fire product safety was held, where fire supervisors explained the hazards of counterfeit fire equipment, demonstrated identification methods, and conducted on-site destruction of more than 2,000 unqualified products seized in recent inspections, including fire hoses, water guns, fire extinguishers and self-rescue breathing apparatuses. The destruction was carried out through crushing, shearing and cutting to minimize environmental impact, officials said.
In Ordos, fire rescue teams went deep into communities to carry out vivid science popularization activities. Firefighters conducted live experiments simulating fire accidents caused by inferior electric vehicle batteries, showing the audience the huge difference between genuine and counterfeit batteries in combustion performance. They also taught residents four key steps to identify fake fire extinguishers: checking appearance labels, pressure gauges, weight and QR codes for authenticity verification.
“Genuine fire extinguishers have smooth bodies, clear labels, pressure gauges pointing to the green zone and standard weight, with traceable information via QR codes,” said a fire宣传员 in Ordos. “In contrast, counterfeit ones are crudely made, with vague labels, insufficient pressure and lighter weight, and their information cannot be queried.”
During the campaign, more than 4,880 pieces of counterfeit and expired fire-fighting equipment were seized across Ordos. Relevant departments have penalized 12 venues for using unqualified or expired products, with fines totaling over 200,000 yuan. Fire officials emphasized that expired fire equipment, though not counterfeit, poses equal risks and must be replaced in a timely manner.
In addition to law enforcement and publicity, the campaigns also highlighted the importance of standardized management of fire equipment. According to the latest national standards GB50444-2025 and XF95-2015, mandatory annual inspections for fire extinguishers have been abolished, replaced by regular status checks and on-demand maintenance. Fire extinguisher users are required to conduct monthly self-inspections, including checking the firmness of the handle, the integrity of the safety pin and the smoothness of the valve, and keep inspection records for at least three years.
“Fire-fighting equipment is the first line of defense for people’s lives and property,” said a representative of the Inner Mongolia Fire Rescue Corps. “We will maintain a high-pressure stance against counterfeit and shoddy fire products, improve the whole-chain supervision system, and encourage public participation in supervision, so as to build a solid social fire safety barrier.”
Authorities also reminded the public to purchase fire-fighting equipment through formal channels, and report any cases of selling or using counterfeit products via the 12345 hotline. Meanwhile, they called on enterprises and communities to strengthen the maintenance and management of fire equipment, ensuring that it can be used effectively in case of emergencies.