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SATURDAY, JUNE 28, 1975.
LESSER DANGER OF MULTI-STOREY
BUILDING FIRES IN H.K.
-X-X-X-X-X
STRICT FIRE SAFETY REQUIREMENTS IMPOSED ON BUILDINGS IN HONG KONG HAVE CONSIDERABLY REDUCED THE DANGER OF MULTI-STOREY BUILDING FIRES.
THIS WAS STATED BY THE DIRECTOR OF FIRE SERVICES, MR. HARRY WOOD, WHEN ASKED TO COMMENT ON A FILM CURRENTLY SHOWING HERE ABOUT A FIRE IN A NEWLY CONSTRUCTED 138-STOREY BUILDING IN THE UNITED STATES.
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MR. WOOD SAID IT WOULD BE FOOLISH TO DENY THAT A DISASTROUS MULTI-STOREY BUILDING FIRE COULD NEVER OCCUR IN HONG KONG.
→BUT THE DANGER OF ONE OF SUCH MAGNITUDE IS DECLINING EACH YEAR DUE TO THE IMPOSITION OF INCREASING STRINGENT FIRE SAFETY REQUIRMENTS IN BUILDINGS, HE SAID.
MR. WOOD POINTED OUT THAT BUILDING PLANS ARE REQUIRED TO BE SUBMITTED TO THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT FOR APPROVAL WHEN FIRE SERVICE INSTALLATIONS ARE PRESCRIBED, SUCH AS FIRE ATTACK SYSTEM, AUTOMATIC ALARM SYSTEMS FOR SMOKE AND HEAT, EXTINGUISHERS AND HOSEREELS.
THE DEPARTMENT ALSO ACTS IN CLOSE CO-OPERATION WITH THE BUILDING AUTHORITY OF THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT ON MEANS OF ESCAPE IN THE EVENT OF FIRE AND IT CARRIES OUT FULL CHECKS ON ALL BUILDINGS BEFORE THEY ARE OCCUPIED.
+1 WOULD NOT LIKE TO LULL THE PUBLIC INTO A FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY – FIRE CAN STRIKE ANYWHERE AT ANY TIME AND THERE IS NOT THE SLIGHTEST CAUSE FOR COMPLACENCY - BUT I CAN ASSURE THE COMMUNITY THAT OUR BUILDING AND FIRE REGULATIONS AND CODE OF PRACTICE ARE AMONG THE STRICTESST IN THE WORLD, CERTAINLY A GOOD DEAL STRICTER THAN THOSE IN SOME POSSIBLY MORE DEVELOPED COUNTRIES,+ MR. WOOD SAID. ́ +THEY ARE REGULARLY REVIEWED AND UPDATED IN THE LIGHT OF EXPERIENCE AND NEED.+
PERIODIC INSPECTIONS ARE CARRIED OUT BY THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT TO ENSURE THAT FIRE SERVICE INSTALLATIONS ARE IN PROPER WORKING ORDER AND MEANS OF ESCAPE ARE KEPT FREE FROM OBSTRUCTION.
MR. WOOD WAS CONFIDENT THAT THE DEPARTMENT'S CAPACITY TO COPE WITH MULTI-STOREY BUILDING FIRES AND RESCUE OF VICTIMS ARE GOOD AS
IT IS EQUIPPED WITH THE MOST MODERN APPLIANCES. HE SAID THIS CAPACITY WOULD BE FURTHER ENHANCED WHEN THE NEWLY ORDERED 50-METRE LADDERS, NOW BEING BUILT IN VEST GERMANY, ARRIVE NEXT YEAR.
/HE SAID: *****