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11/22/2024 04:04:36 am

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Shanghai Emergency Team to Put Out Fires ‘Disney Style’

Shanghai Firefighters Disney Style

(Photo : Reuters/Paul Yeung) Disney's cartoon characters perform with lion dancers at Hong Kong Disneyland to celebrate Chinese Lunar New Year on January 29, 2006.

Donald Duck in red firefighter's uniform drives a fire truck while Goofy sounds the alarm and Mickey tugs a fire hose with mouse's ears. This may well be a scene at the upcoming Shanghai Disney Resort whose fire-fighting team will get an upgrade "Disney style."

The resort is not set to open its doors till the last quarter of the year but everyone got a taste of things to come. The park will have 80 firefighters and almost a dozen fire trucks clad in the familiar colors of the happiest place on Earth.

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The top engineer of Shanghai's fire bureau, Li Huijing, said the emergency responders could become the city's "prettiest" firefighters.

An official Shanghai website report did not say who will pay for the upkeep of the firefighters - Disney or the Shanghai government. Shanghai Disney Resort said in a statement it is "working closely" with city officials to ensure the safety of visitors.

After news of the Disney fire team leaked, the operator of the official Shanghai police Weibo account is warming up to the idea. In reply to netizens' suggestion that city police should also try characters such as Sailor Moon and Barbie - who are not in the Disney universe - to join their ranks, a user ruled out the idea, saying even if the emergency team agreed, Disney would just forget about it.

Other Chinese netizens see the "Disney-fied" firefighting team itself as a possible future draw. A Weibo user said people should not be worried. Another user asked if children may leave something in flames to see the team take action.

Shanghai firefighters and policemen are usually seen as dignified and sober, but some departments have given them more creative ways with recruitment. Recruiters are shown in some clips of televised public dancing while others were made to look like they are in an action flick.

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