FRIDAY, JANUARY 26, 197
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HONG KONG OWES MUCH TO FIREMEN AND AMBULANCEMEN
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HONG KONG OWES MUCH TO ITS PAST AND PRESENT FIREMEN AND AMBULANCEMEN, SAID MR ALAN JONES, CHIEF FIRE OFFICER (NEW TERRITORIES), AT A PASSING-OUT PARADE TODAY (FRIDAY) OF RECRUITS FROM THE FIRE SERVICES TRAINING SCHOOL IN PAT HEUNG.
+AT SOME TIME DURING AN INCIDENT YOU WILL HAVE TO MAKE YOUR OWN PERSONAL DECISIONS, AND BE FACED WITH CRUCIAL AND POSSIBLY VERY DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES, HE TOLD THE 55 SUCCESSFUL FIREMAN AND AMBULANCEMAN TRAINEES,
+THAT IS WHEN YOUR TRAINING, CONFIDENCE AND ABILITY WILL BE REALLY PUT TO THE TEST AND I AM SURE YOU WILL NOT BE FOUND WANTING.+
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ON PARADE WERE 29 FIREMEN, 18 SENIOR AMBULANCEMEN AND EIGHT AMBULANCEMEN WHO HAD JUST COMPLETED SIX-MONTH AND TWO-MONTH BASIC TRAINING RESPECTIVELY, EIGHTY-FIVE FIREMEN STILL UNDER TRAINING ALSO TOOK PART IN THE PARADE.
THE RECRUITS WILL NOW BE REPORTING TO VARIOUS FIRE STATIONS AND AMBULANCE DEPOTS.
MR JONES TOUCHED ON THE SUPPOSED GLAMOUR OF THE ROLE OF A FIRE-FIGHTER, SAYING: +PERHAPS YOU VISUALISED YOURSELF RESPLENDANT IN YOUR UNIFORM, FIGHTING FIRES OR HELPING TO TREAT INJURED OR SICK PEOPLE... EMULATING THE EXPLOITS OF VARIOUS ACTORS IN DRAMATIC MOVIES OR TELEVISION SERIALS.+
HE ADDED: NOW YOU ARE NOT ONLY MORE AWARE OF WHAT YOU WILL REALLY DO, AND HOW YOU WILL DO IT, BUT THAT IT DEMANDS FAR MORE THAN YOU THOUGHT, AND SURPRISINGLY YOU HAVE FOUND YOURSELF ABLE TO MEET THE DEMANDS. +
HE SAID THE HARD, ARDUOUS TRAINING HAD INSTILLED IN ALL THE ATTRIBUTES OF CONFIDENCE, UNDERSTANDING, TEAMWORK, DETERMINATION, RELIABILITY AND NOT LEAST AN ACCEPTANCE THAT YOUR PHYSICAL CAPABILITIES HAVE BEEN CONSIDERABLY IMPROVED, MAKING YOU ALL BETTER MEN.+
TO MEET THE CONSTANTLY INCREASING AND VARIED DEMANDS WHICH MUST BE FACED EVERY DAY, MR JONES TOLD THE RECRUITS, +YOU MUST CONTINUE TO IMPROVE YOURSELF IN EVERY RESPECT, NOT JUST IN PRACTICAL ASPECTS BUT IN THEORY, DEPTH OF KNOWLEDGE, AND NEW PROCEDURES.+
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