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Mr. SOHMEN: Sir, the Secretary mentioned the facilities to extract smoke from
not a fire but I was surprised that he did mention anything about facilities to 人 extinguish fires that do happen.
SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT: Sir, I am just answering the question which is on evacuation. There are in fact a host of arrangements for putting out fires.
I might mention just a few perhaps.
In the case of the electric plant rooms
there is a system whereby as soon as smoke is detected by a detector the system is activated within 15 seconds and the fire is put out by a gas which is
called BTM. This gas is able to extinguish oxygen within 15 chances of a fire in a station, in fact, are very remote indeed.
seconds, so the
In addition, all the trains and stations are linked by a communication system with
the
Fire Service the police, and each station has a central control station
Departmenthe
centre and is divided into different fire zones. As soon as smoke or fire is
detected a light will indicate in that zone which area has a fire or smoke
Department and action is taken immediately by the station and the Fire Services to put out
the fire.
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Mr. CHEONG: Sir, I presume the planners have already taken into consideration that escalators are being used as a very efficient evacuation mode of transport. What happens if there has to be an electricity failure?
SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT: Sir, in the case where there is no electricity
you can walk up or down the escalator without any problem. In addition, of course,
there are staircases in all stations you can use
you can use in addition to the escalators.
which
Dr. CHIU: Sir, when there is an accident, sheer panic follows. Commuters will be pushing and shoving without knowing where they are and where they should go. Will the Government inform this Council how many staff, apart from the train
operator in the train, are there in the station who will take up the responsibility to direct and assist thousands of passengers in case of an emergency, and whether there is any standby manpower for such duties?
SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT: Sir, I have been reassured by the corporation
that the number of staff required is adequate and again this point has been endorsed by the UK Inspectorate. In the case of a train, as you know the train is operated by one operator only because it automatic. In the case of stations, of course, all staff including staff at the control centre and staff at stations are fully aware of the need to help passengers to evacuate, and
for there is no need additional staff to do this. But in addition, as I said earlier,
all the precautions built into the system will reduce the need
to do so.
I might mention, Sir, that over the last years, in fact since