MONDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 1979
THE CAS' SERVICE TO THE VIETNAMESE REFUGEES STARTED IN MAY 1975 WHEN THE M.V. CLARA MAERSK BROUGHT INTO PORT MORE THAN 3,500 REFUGEES, CAS PERSONNEL LOOKED AFTER THEM THROUGHOUT, FROM THE DAY THESE PEOPLE ARRIVED TILL ONE YEAR AFTER, THE DEPARTURE OF THE MAJORITY OF THEM FROM THE VARIOUS CAMPS FOR SETTLEMENT OVERSEAS.
MR. ROGER LOBO, COMMISSIONER OF CAS, SAID TODAY (MONDAY): +MEMBERS OF THE CAS ARE DELIGHTED TO SHARE THE HEAVY BURDEN WITH VARIOUS GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS, IN LOOKING AFTER THE LARGE NUMBER OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES.+
MR. JOHN FORTUNE, DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS, CAS, COMMENTED: +ADMITTEDLY, THIS HAS BEEN A VERY TESTING JOB, IN VIEW OF THE CROWDED CONDITIONS IN THE CAMPS AND THE DISTRESS OF THE REFUGEES. WE, HOWEVER, FEEL PROUD OF WHAT WE ARE DOING. INDEED, ALL MEMBERS WHO HAVE BEEN CALLED OUT FOR THIS DUTY, HAVE CONTRIBUTED TOWARD ACHIEVING ONE OF THE BASIS AIMS OF THE SERVICES - HUMANITY, + MR. FORTUNE SAID.
THE CIVIL AID SERVICES, FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE. ALL BAS IS.
FORMED IN 1952, HAS 2,750 MEMBERS, OFFER THE IR SERVICE ON A VOLUNTARY
OVER THE PAST QUARTER OF A CENTURY, THE CAS HAS THROUGH THE PUBLIC SPIRITEDNESS AND THE DEDICATION OF ITS MEMBERS, ACCRUED AN EXCEPTIONAL OPERATIONAL RECORD. ITS MEMBERS VOLUNTEER THE IR TIME AND ENERGY TO UNDERGO ARDUOUS TRAINING AND FACE THE CHALLENGES EXTENDED BY A WHOLE SPECTRUM OF CIVIL DUTIES AND CIVIL EMERGENCY SITUATIONS.
IN ADDITION TO THESE DUTIES, THEY ARE ALSO INVOLVED IN MANY OTHER IMPORTANT COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES INCLUDING CROWD CONTROL, ANTI-OIL POLLUTION AND FIRST AID.
IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, A GREATER EMPHASIS HAS BEEN PLACED ON PROTECTION OF THE COUNTRYSIDE FROM FIRE AND IN THIS DUTY THE CIVIL AID SERVICES HAVE ALSO PROVED THE IR WORTH. THEY PROVIDE PATROLS IN THE COUNTRYSIDE AREAS AT WEEKENDS AND PUBLIC HOLIDAYS AND PROVIDE ESSENTIAL REINFORCEMENTS IN LARGE SCALE COUNTRYSIDE FIRE FIGHTING.
TODAY, THE CIVIL AID SERVICES' MOUNTAIN RESCUE TEAMS, MADE UP OF SKILLED AND ENTHUSIASTIC VOLUNTEERS, ARE AVAILABLE AT SHORT NOTICE AND HAVE GREATLY ASSISTED REGULAR EMERGENCY SERVICES IN THIS DANGEROUS AND DIFFICULT DUTY.
+ IT IS MOST REASSURING TO THE COMMUNITY TO KNOW THAT SUCH A DISCIPLINED, SKILLED AND WILLING FORCE OF VOLUNTEERS IS AVAILABLE TO CALL UPON, ESPECIALLY IN TIMES OF NEED, MR. LOBO SA ID.
ACCORDING TO MR. FORTUNE, ON AVERAGE, THERE ARE 500 CAS MEMBERS ON DUTY SOMEWHERE IN HONG KONG ON ANY WEEKEND, ADDING THAT IT IS ALSO APPRECIATIVE THAT EMPLOYERS ARE ALWAYS WILLING TO RELEASE THE IR EMPLOYEES FOR CAS DUTIES,
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