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PUBLIC ORDER
A number of senior officers have attended courses overseas and other officers have attended specialist training courses with the Medical and Health Department, the Social Welfare Department and at the University of Hong Kong.
The delay in the construction of an extension to the Staff Training Institute has necessitated the use of the Prison Officers' Club premises, some accommodation at Sha Tsui Detention Centre, and a doubling-up on accommodation at the institute itself.
Fire Services
The Fire Services Department responded to and dealt with a total of 217,889 emergencies in 1979, of which 13,107 were fire calls, 5,630 were special service calls and 199,152 were ambulance calls. Fires caused 45 deaths and injured 768 people, including one fireman killed and 86 injured. A total of 874 people were rescued and hundreds of others were led to safety by firemen.
An analysis of the supposed causes of fire in 1979 revealed that careless handling of smoking materials, other sources of ignition and electrical faults caused 6,466 fires. The number of fires involving overturned kerosene stoves, unattended or defective cooking stoves and heaters was 651. Fire caused by liquefied petroleum gas totalled 113.
False alarm calls numbered 3,246. The great majority were raised with good intent either by the public or by ultra-sensitive automatic alarm systems.
The establishment of the Fire Services Department at the end of 1979 totalled 4,761 all ranks. In addition, the number of civilian staff employed by the department increased by seven to 426. During the year, the services of 10 officers and 243 men were lost through death, retirement, resignation or dismissal. A number of recruitment exercises were held resulting in the appointment of 35 officers and 753 firemen and ambulancemen. Standards are high and only about 10 per cent of all applicants were found to be suitable for appointment.
Buildings and Quarters
Under the department's development programme to provide an emergency response to all areas within certain times and according to the category of risk, one new divisional fire station and two ambulance depots were commissioned during the year. These were Tuen Mun Divisional Fire Station and Tuen Mun Ambulance Depot in the New Territories and Ngau Tau Kok Ambulance Depot in Kowloon. The total number of fire and ambulance depots is now 53. A further 35 fire or ambulance stations have been included in various categories of the Public Works Programme and in private developers' projects for construction over the next few years.
At the end of the year, more than 1,890 departmental quarters were occupied or available for occupation. Construction work on 440 additional married quarters for firemen and ambulancemen will start as soon as funds are made available.
Communications System
The setting up of a new communications system was completed in December when all mobilising facilities were centralised in one control centre. Supplied by Cable and Wireless Systems Limited to specifications prepared by the staff of the Postmaster General and the Fire Services Department, this system includes a computer-operated vehicle location and status-indicating display to better utilise ambulances; centrally-operated alarm and voice circuits to all stations to reduce the call-out time; and direct links at control consoles to communicate with other agencies during emergency operations. The provision of this