SUNDAY, AUGUST 21, 1977
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THERE WERE GRUESOME OCCASIONS WHEN THEY WERE ASKED TO LOOK FOR PARTS OF DECOMPOSED BODIES. UNUSUAL REQUESTS TO LOCATE A SAFE SAID TO HAVE FALLEN INTO THE HARBOUR ALSO CROP UP SOMETIMES.
THE PROSPECT OF THESE MISSIONS MIGHT HAVE DETERRED MANY OTHERS WITH FAINT HEARTS, BUT NOT THE DIVERS,
THE SPOKESMAN POINTED OUT THAT DIVING WAS ONLY PART OF THE DEPARTMENT'S IN-SERVICE TRAINING AND FIREMEN JOINED THE COURSE PURELY ON A VOLUNTARY BASIS.
THE DIVING TEAM STARTED WITH A HANDFUL OF NINE TRAINED OFFICERS 17 YEARS AGO. TODAY, DUE TO HEAVY DEMAND FOR ITS SERVICES AND EXPANSION IN PAST YEARS, IT NOW HAS OVER 60 MEMBERS.
THE DIVERS ARE PUT ON DUTY ROUND THE CLOCK AT THE VARIOUS FIRE SERVICES STATIONS THROUGHOUT HONG KONG AND WHEN THEY ARE NOT CALLED UPON TO CARRY OUT UNDERWATER WORK, THEY ARE REQUIRED TO PERFORM THE NORMAL FIRE-FIGHTING DUTIES.
COMMENTING ON THEIR PERFORMANCE, THE SPOKESMAN SAID THEY HAD ATTAINED A CONSIDERABLE HIGH STANDARD WHICH COMPARED FAVOURABLY WITH ANY OTHER EMERGENCY SERVICES WHICH PARTICIPATED IN DIVING OPERATIONS.
+ IN ITS 17-YEAR HISTORY, THE DIVING TEAM HAS HANDLED THOUSANDS OF OPERATIONS AND ASSISTED THE LAW-ENFORCING DEPARTMENTS TO RETRIEVE INCRIMINATING EVIDENCE FROM THE SEA.
+ALL THESE WERE CARRIED OUT IN SITUATIONS UNFAMILIAR TO THE DIVERS AND SOMETIMES UNTHINKABLE TO ORDINARY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC HUGE WATER TANKS, IN THE SUBMERGED HOLDS OF SHIPS, OR EVEN DEEP INSIDE THE EARTH AT THE BOTTOM OF A WELL, HE SAID.
FIRST COUNTRY PARK LEAFLET NOW ON SALE
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THE FIRST IN A SERIES OF LEAFLETS PROVIDING INFORMATION ON INDIVIDUAL COUNTRY PARKS IN HONG KONG IS NOW ON SALE.
THE LEAFLET, IN FOLDER FORM, IS IN BOTH ENGLISH AND CHINESE. IT IS ILLUSTRATED WITH COLOUR PICTURES OF SCENERY AND FACILITIES IN THE SHING MUN COUNTRY PARK.
A DOUBLE-PAGE COLOUR DIAGRAM IS INCLUDED SHOWING MARKED WALKS WITHIN THE PARK, AND THE LOCATIONS OF RAIN SHELTERS, BARBECUE AND PICNIC PLACES.
THE LEAFLET PROVIDES A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO THE LOCATION, AREA AND HISTORY OF THE PARK, ITS VEGETATION AND MINERALS AND MANAGEMENT WORK.
THE LEAFLET, AT 50 CENTS EACH, IS AVAILABLE FROM THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS CENTRE AT THE GENERAL POST OFFICE BUILDING IN CENTRAL.
MORE LEAFLETS IN THE SERIES ON THE COUNTRY PARKS AT KAM SHAN, TAI TAM, ABERDEEN AND LION ROCK ARE BEING PREPARED, AND WILL BE PUBLISHED SHORTLY.
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