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WEDNESDAY, JULY 6, 1997
NEW TSING YI FIRE STATION
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THE NEW $1.8 MILLION TSING YI FIRE STATION WHICH COMMENCED OPERATION LAST MONTH WOULD MINIMISE THE THREAT OF POSSIBLE FIRE HAZARDS ON THE ISLAND, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT SAID TODAY.
+THE FIRE FIGHTING FACILITIES ON TSING YI ARE SIMILAR TO THOSE THROUGHOUT HONG KONG, AND IT IS PART OF THE DEPARTMENT'S AIM TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE FIRE FIGHTING SERVICES IN EVERY NEW TOWN. HE SAID.
WITH AN AREA OF SLIGHTLY OVER THREE SQUARE MILES, AND A POPULATION OF ABOUT 1,600, TSING YI IS BEING DEVELOPED INTO AN AREA FOR HEAVY INDUSTRIES - CHEMICAL PLANT, SHIP YARDS, OIL DEPOT AND MACHINE FACTORIES HAD BEEN OR ARE BEING SET UP ON THE ISLAND.
DEVELOPMENTS THERE ARE IN FULL SWING, AND WITH THE COMPLETION OF THE FIRST PHASE OF THE CHEUNG CHING ESTATE, TSING YI WILL BE A TOWN OF 160,000 PEOPLE WHEN IT IS FULLY DEVELOPED.
THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT THE RAPID DEVELOPMENTS ON THE ISLAND HAD POSED FIRE HAZARDS TO BOTH THE RESIDENTS AND THE INDUSTRY. THOUGH THE PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES TAKEN BY THE INDUSTRIAL UNDERTAKINGS AND THE INHABITANTS COMPLIED WITH THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT'S REQUIREMENTS, IT WAS NECESSARY TO BRING THE FIRE FIGHTING SERVICES ON THE ISLAND UP TO STANDARD.
+THE NEW TSING YI FIRE STATION, COVERING AN AREA OF 10,000 SQ. FEET, IS A THREE-STOREY BUILDING. IT IS A STANDARD FIRE STATION AND SIMILAR TO THOSE IN THE URBAN AND INDUSTRIAL AREAS,+ HE STRESSED.
+WE HAVE FOUR FIRE FIGHTING APPLIANCES AND TWO LANDROVERS AT THE NEW STATION AND ABOUT 30 FIREMEN ARE ON ALERT ROUND THE CLOCK TO ANSWER CALLS FROM THE ISLAND, HE ADDED.
THE OLD FIRE STATION WITH POOR FIRE FIGHTING APPLIANCES WAS LOCATED AT THE PREMISES OF THE TSING YI RURAL COMMITTEE.
TO FURTHER IMPROVE THE FIRE FIGHTING EFFICIENCY ON THE ISLAND AND IN THE NEARBY CONTAINER TERMINAL, A SUM OF $6 MILLION HAS BEEN EARMARKED FOR THE BUILDING OF A LARGE FIRE BOAT. IT IS EXPECTED THAT THE FIRE BOAT WILL BE OPERATIONAL IN 1980.
THE NEW FIRE BOAT WILL ALSO BE THE FIRST FIRE FIGHTING BOAT THAT HAS SNORKEL INSTALLATION.
MOREOVER, A PIER SPECIALLY FOR THE USE OF FIRE BOATS WILL BE BUILT ON THE ISLAND.
+FIRE BOATS PLAY A MAJOR ROLE IN ADDITION TO THE REINFORCEMENT FROM NEARBY FIRE STATIONS SHOULD FIRE BREAK OUT ON THE ISLAND, HE SAID.
HE ALSO REVEALED THAT A NEW FIRE STATION AND AN AMBULANCE DEPOT, CAPABLE OF ACCOMMODATING A FLEET OF TEN AMBULANCES IS BEING BUILT IN LEI MUK SHUE, ANOTHER DEVELOPING AREA IN KWAI CHUNG. WHEN THIS FIRE STATION STARTS SERVICE NEXT SEPTEMBER, THE AREA WILL BE BETTER PROTECTED FROM FIRES.