throughout the dry season with increased manpower deployed as and when required. On the same occa- sions, patrol teams were also deployed to patrol hiking trails in Sai Kung and Pat Sin Range/Plover Cove Country Parks; the distribution of emergency rations to refugees at sea on 65 occasions. Normal tropical cyclone and heavy rain standby duties were also performed.
Between July and September 1987 CAS personnel were engaged in the management of two Refugee Reception Centres for the Ex-China Vietnamese Illegal Immigrants (ECVIIs) on Green Island and the 25-storey Hoi Tai Government Factory Building in Tuen Mun. Due to extreme urgency of the situation, the CAS were mobilized to set up these centres in less than three days and help process more than 7000 ECVIIS on their arrival.
Civic Duties: Civic duties during the year kept the volunteers and cadets almost as busy as the opera- tional front. Volunteers were heavily involved in crowd control and marshalling services during the Com- munity Chest Walks, Chinese and European Festivals, government campaigns and exhibitions, the Interna- tional Dragon Boat Races, the fireworks displays and many civic, sporting and ceremonial functions. In 1987, CAS performed duties on 338 occasions involving 11 576 man-days.
Communications Network: The CAS Radio Telephone Network provides a valuable link to all parts of the urban area and the New Territories. The communication system comprises 27 base stations, 22 portable sets and 12 portamobile sets with public address systems.
The network provides communications between all CAS Units throughout the territory and links with the Country Parks Division of the Agriculture and Fisheries Department, the RAF and Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force (RHKAAF) helicopters. The Radio Telephone Network installed in Hong Kong, Kowloon and New Territories Regional HQ can also communi- cate with the Police Control Rooms for those areas.
Training: The CAS Mountain Rescue Teams main- tained their standby duties on Sundays and public holidays throughout 1987. The Unit also assisted in giving lectures and demonstrations on mountain safety to youth groups and staff of the Police Force, Agricul- ture and Fisheries Department and District Offices. Training courses on rope work, safety on high ground and rescue from height were conducted for staff of the Geotechnical Control Office, Customs and Excise Department and the China Light and Power Co. Ltd.
In 1987, members and cadets took part in more than 152 full-time and 1 804 part-time courses of all cate- gories. Six were conducted by the Marine Department on anti-oil pollution duties, by the Civil Service Train- ing Division on the training of Effective Managers and by the Army on Footdrill Instructors training. Familiar- ization visits were made to regular emergency services control/command headquarters which have opera- tional links with the CAS. The programme for 1988-89 comprises both full-time and part-time courses cover-
ing a wide variety of subjects. Apart from the normal civil defence type of courses, such as first aid, fire fighting and conventional rescue, the aim is always to train senior officers in counter disaster management in large-scale operations.
Överseas training is organized for both permanent staff and volunteer officers with a view to promoting their operational efficiency and gaining wide exper- ience in contingency planning. Since 1980, 20 senior officers, both permanent staff and volunteers, were trained at the Australian Counter Disaster College and visited various emergency services organizations in Australia and two Senior Training Officers attended the Disaster Management Course at the Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre in Bangkok, Thailand.
Experienced Mountain Rescue Unit personnel con- tinued to receive advanced training in mountain rescue and leadership from the RAF in the U.K.
Summary: During the year ending 31 December 1987, volunteers undertook 523 operations of all kinds, completing a total of 18 475 man-days of duty. This included community services on behalf of the Community Chest, the Hong Kong Tourist Associa- tion, the Urban Council, and the organization of the social gatherings in many District Offices. The CAS Band played at numerous public functions. Two part- time instructors for the brass, pipes and wind sections of the Band were provided by the Royal Hong Kong Police Band. The CAS Band won six awards in the Hong Kong Bag Pipe Competitions held on 17 January 1988.
The CAS Motorcycle and Bicycle Demonstration Teams performed at many public functions. Both teams produced highly professional performances and are in constant demand.
The CAS HQ at Caroline Hill Road comprises a six storey building with office accommodation, class- rooms, a 100-seat theatre, canteen, fitness training centre, sauna room, library, video centre, officers mess, clothing stores, band room, cadet mechanical and electrical workshops, printing workshop and a large store for operational equipment. The accommodation is heavily utilized for centralized full-time courses and part-time evening training and activities.
Besides the CAS HQ, the Service has over 50 Unit/ Sub-unit HQs throughout the territory. There are three training centres, one in Happy Valley, one in Kowloon East and one in Kowloon West. The first two centres were purpose-built for rescue and casualty handling training, the third is mainly for training cadets in various workshop skills and more conventional subjects.
Facilities at the 21-hectare CAS Yuen Tun Camp at Tsing Lung Tau, Yuen Tun, New Territories were further improved. The old village inside the campsite, rebuilt from public donations and partially refurnished with old village furniture and farming equipment, is now a unique folk museum. The aim is to completely restore the village to the state it was 250 years ago.
Work is underway to develop a water activity oriented camp at Tai Tan and Wong Shek Pier in Sai Kung North for which the Hong Kong Jockey Club (Charities) Ltd. provided $1.45 million. The project is expected to be completed by mid-1988.
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