FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1979
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26 FIRE WATCH PATROLS FORMED
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REPRESENTATIVES FROM 26 FIRE WATCH PATROLS FORMED IN SQUATTER AREAS AND VILLAGES IN VARIOUS PARTS OF HONG KONG WERE TODAY (FRIDAY) COMMENDED FOR THEIR CIVIC-MINDEDNESS AT AN INAUGURATION CEREMONY HELD AT THE FIRE SERVICES TRAINING SCHOOL IN PAT HEUNG, YUEN LONG.
THE TEAMS ARE VOLUNTARY BODIES FORMED UNDER THE FIRE WATCH SCHEME JOINTLY PLANNED AND IMPLEMENTED BY THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT, THE HOME AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT, THE NEW TERRITORIES ADMINISTRATION AND THE INFORMATION SERVICES DEPARTMENT AS PART OF THE PROMOTION FOR THE CURRENT FIRE PREVENTION CAMPAIGN.
SPEAKING AT THE CEREMONY, THE HONOURABLE CHARLES YEUNG SIU-CHO, LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL MEMBER, POINTED OUT THE SCHEME WAS A PILOT ONE AND THAT ITS AIMS WERE TO AROUSE THE AWARENESS OF RESIDENTS OF THE DANGERS OF FIRE AND TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO JOIN FORCES IN HELPING TO PREVENT ITS OUTBREAK.
IN THE INITIAL PERIOD, HE SAID, THE SCHEME IS INTRODUCED IN VILLAGES AND SQUATTER AREAS AND IT IS PLANNED TO HAVE THE SCHEME EXTENDED GRADUALLY TO OTHER AREAS IN A JOINT EFFORT BY THE GOVERNMENT AND THE PEOPLE.
IN APPRECIATION OF THE WARM RESPONSE FROM THE FIRST 26 TEAMS FORMED UNDER THE SCHEME, MR. YEUNG ANNOUNCED THAT A SET OF FIRE ALARM AND FIRE FIGHTING EQUIPMENT, INCLUDING GONGS, FIRE EXTINGUISHERS AND SAND BUCKETS WILL BE DONATED TO THEM BY THE ORGANISING COMMITTEE.
THE SHELL COMPANY OF HONG KONG HAS ALSO DONATED 100 OIL DRUMS TO BE USED AS WATER CONTAINERS IN THESE VILLAGES AND SQUATTER AREAS.
THE MAIN DUTIES OF THE FIRE WATCH PATROLS ARE TO HELP TO ELIMINATE FIRE HAZARDS AND TO CARRY OUT FIRE PREVENTION MEASURES IN THE IR AREAS UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF THE LOCAL CITY DISTRICT OFFICE OR DISTRICT OFFICE AND THE FIRE PREVENTION BUREAU.
AFTER MR. YEUNG'S ADDRESS, EACH OF THE 26 FIRE WATCH TEAMS WAS PRESENTED WITH A SOUVENIR PLAQUE.
THE PRESENTATIONS WERE MADE BY MR. NICHOLAS NG WING-FUI, ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES MR. H.H.T. BARMA, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF HOME AFFAIRS MR. A.J. JONES, CHIEF FIRE OFFICER AND MR. PETER MOSS, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF INFORMATION SERVICES.
TRAINEES OF THE FIRE SERVICES TRAINING SCHOOL ALSO GAVE A DEMONSTRATION ON FIRE FIGHTING DURING THE CEREMONY.
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