10. An especially noticeable feature during the year was the increase in the number, size and variety of Special Service calls. Such calls are so designated as being ones received from members of the public in respect of an incident or calamity where no fire is involved. The rate of growth and complexity of 'Special Services' indicates quite clearly that consideration will have to be given to the rapid expansion of ‘Special Service Units' approved for the first time in the 1963-64 Estimates.
FIRE SERVICE
11. Whilst abnormal conditions of drought brought great hardship to the public, to the Service it brought benefits in the form of high humid- ities which rarely dropped below the critical point of 65% and then only for a few hours. This factor coupled with the fire prevention publicity campaign organized by the Information Services Department and the field work performed 'round the clock' by Fire Service Officers using public address equipment loaned from the Police Force, resulted in number of fires being 10% less than the previous year.
12. After two disastrous Chinese New Year celebrations and the continuing drought the Service expected to be heavily engaged during the 1963 Chinese New Year's celebrations.
13. A great deal of time and study by all Departments concerned had resulted in an evaluation of the continuing practice of unrestricted fireworks discharge. It was agreed that total prohibition was neither practicable nor, in view of other restrictions being forced on the public, desirable. Special measures to avoid fires and injuries on the scale of 1962 and 1963 were therefore limited to reducing the permitted hours for discharge, coupled with extensive and continuous appeals both direct to the public and through Kaifongs and other organizations. It is impos- sible to be precise in determining which area of action was the more successful, but one factor is clear, namely, that the number of fires attrib- utable to fireworks in 1963 showed a reduction on previous years sufficient to justify a repetition in 1965 of the 1964 policy.
14. Life hazards in high buildings continue to present on the occasion of fires, difficulties and possibilities of major disasters which cannot adequately be met by existing resources and conventional tactics. A new concept of dual 'Ist Attendances' to 'High Blocks' is being considered which will provide highly trained teams of fit young officers and men adopting commando tactics in 'Search and Rescue'.
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