PUBLIC ORDER
W
131
Carelessness continued to be the main cause of fires. No less than 38 per cent of fires or 4,233 - were attributed to carelessness and negligence. Defective electrical units were the second major cause and accounted for 15 per cent of the fires. In an effort to counter these causes, fully-manned fire appliances made regular patrols of various districts, particularly squatter areas, to demonstrate to residents the variety of perils they expose themselves to by failing to take commonsense fire precautions. The patrols also enabled crews to pinpoint tactical problems presented by property in their station areas.
The department continued with its expansion programme to keep pace with rapid social and economic progress. A new fire station and an ambulance depot were commissioned at Tsing Yi and Lei Muk Shue, bringing the total number to 39 fire stations and 10 ambulance depots/stations. A number of divisional fire stations and ambulance depots planned for high-risk areas has been included in various categories of the public works programme.
At the end of the year, 1,137 departmental quarters were occupied or available for occupation. Work on building 380 additional married quarters in Tsuen Wan and 600 in Sha Tin for the firemen/ambulancemen grade has already started. The projects are scheduled to be completed by 1978-9.
Communications System
The rapid development of Hong Kong, along with such factors as the creation of new towns in the New Territories, the growing number of multi-storey buildings and increased traffic, has led to a four-fold increase in the number of calls received by the department over the past 10 years. Although these problems have been partly over- come by expansion and the provision of more sophisticated appliances and equipment, effective control over fire-fighting and rescue operations hinges on modern and efficient communications.
Work on implementing the first phase of a communications system approved by the Finance Committee in July, 1976, is now underway.
This new system, costing $5.5 million, will centralise all fire-fighting and ambulance control activities. It also will provide a direct audio call-out device for fire and am- bulance stations, and semi-automatic vehicle location and status-indicating equipment to improve ambulance usage. The first phase of the system will result in a faster turnout of appliances that will counter, to some extent, the effects of slower travelling speeds on congested roads.
Appliances
Some 38 additional or replacement appliances and units of various types were com- missioned during the year, and 31 appliances and vehicles were taken out of service. Among the more important appliances commissioned were nine major pumps, three pump escapes/rescue escapes and 10 light pumping appliances.
A new fireboat also was put into service to replace the outdated No. 3 fireboat that had served Aberdeen Harbour since 1950. To provide adequate fire cover at the Kwai Chung Container Terminal and at nearby industrial areas, a specially-designed fireboat with an elevated platform is planned.
Orders have been placed for three additional major pumps, which should arrive early in 1978. A total of 511 fire appliances and vehicles were in service at the end of 1977.