LOCAL FORCES AND CIVIL DEFENCE SERVICES
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hospitals and valuable experience has been obtained by many members who attend week-end training in the casualty ward at Queen Mary Hospital.
The Civil Aid Services are responsible for all the civil defence functions not covered by the other emergency services. They include three Command Units, a Warden Service with posts throughout the urban area, a Rescue Service, a Despatch Service equipped with motor scooters, an Accommodation Unit, and several administrative units. The membership is 5,500 men and women, of whom almost all are volunteers.
Most members train on one or two evenings a week, and take part in live exercises with the Auxiliary Medical Service. In keeping with their name, the Civil Aid Services stand ready to aid the community during and after fires, floods and other disasters. Members turned out voluntarily to assist on many such occasions during the year, and over 1,000 were on duty when Typhoon Mary struck the Colony.
The highlight of the year was the Seventh Annual Field Day when His Excellency the Governor inspected 3,800 members at the Hong Kong Stadium. This is believed to have been the largest parade of its kind in Hong Kong.
The Auxiliary Fire Service, an autonomous unit of the Essential Services Corps, is designed to assist the regular Fire Brigade in peace-time and in an emergency. Members of the Service total over 670 men and women, out of an approved strength of 832. They man their own appliances during weekly platoon training under the supervision of regular Fire Brigade officers, and work on water relays, week-end station duty, full day and half day exercises, a pump operators' course, driving instruction and control and watch room operating. The AFS is also called out to help the Brigade to fight serious fires and at 'Special Service' incidents such as land slides and collapses of buildings during rain storms and typhoons.