Plans have been made to convert a certain number of buses into ambulances.
The building of two Cleansing Centres has been commenced and plans for further buildings of a similar nature are under examination.
Headquarters for the Director of Medical Services in time of war has been selected in the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank Building.
A.R.P. plans for the protection of hospitals and other medical establishments have in a large number of cases already been prepared.
14. Schools.
Arrangements for the protection of schools, either by evacuation of the pupils or physical protection of the buildings, have been prepared.
Several A.R.P. courses for schoolmasters were arranged throughout the year.
15. Protection of Government Buildings.
Plans for the protection of Government buildings have been prepared and schemes are ready to put into force.
Sandbags have been supplied to all important Government buildings and equipment for dealing with incendiary bombs is already in store.
Certain members of the staff of each of these buildings have been trained and qualified in all aspects of A.R.P.
16. Protection of Essential Services Buildings.
The two electric companies, gas-works, and Dairy Farm have prepared their A.R.P. schemes, and their staffs have been trained in A.R.P. work.
Government has agreed to pay fifty per cent of the cost of protecting these buildings, and certain protective work and the provision of equipment has already commenced.
An estimate of the cost of connecting the Hong Kong Electric Company to the China Light and Power Co. was prepared but not approved.
17. Protection of Large Business Concerns, Factories, etc.
The owners of the above buildings have been urged with a small degree of success to provide protection for their employees. With a few exceptions all important buildings have their own staff of A.R.P. personnel.
A scheme to make the provision of shelters compulsory to owners of newly erected buildings accommodating over 50 persons has been prepared and is with the Attorney General.
18. Protection of the General Public.
Various schemes for the mass protection of the general public have been prepared but were not found practicable, both from a financial point of view and for other cogent reasons.
Government has decided that protection should only be given to those persons caught in the streets during an air raid, and to carry out this policy, a survey of the open spaces, with a view to the construction of trenches, has been made, and plans have been completed which will enable work to be undertaken immediately a state of emergency is declared.