THURSDAY, MARCH 8, 1979
AIRCRAFT FIRE-FIGHTING VEHICLE CONTRACT SIGNED
*****
THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT HAS AWARDED A CONTRACT TO MESSRS. CHUBB (H.K.) LTD. TO SUPPLY AIRCRAFT FIRE-FIGHTING VEHICLES WORTH ABOUT $3 MILLION.
THE CONTRACT WAS FORMALLY SIGNED TODAY (THURSDAY) BY MR. GRAHAM OSBORNE, PRINCIPAL GOVERNMENT ELECTRICAL AND MECHANICAL ENGINEER AND MR. W.E. RANDALL, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF THE COMPANY.
MR. OSBORNE SAID THE ELECTRICAL AND MECHANICAL OFFICE WAS PURCHASING THESE VEHICLES ON BEHALF OF THE CIVIL AVIATION DEPARTMENT FOR USE AT THE HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TO MAINTAIN THE AIRPORT'S CRASH FIRE AND RESCUE CAPABILITIES WELL IN EXCESS OF THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR INTERNATIONAL AIRPORTS.
THE CONTRACT IS FOR THE SUPPLY OF THREE VEHICLES AIRFIELD CRASH TENDER AND TWO RAPID INTERVENTION VEHICLES.
AN
THESE VEHICLES, WHICH SHOULD BE OPERATIONAL EARLY NEXT YEAR, WILL ADD TO THE PRESENT STRENGTH OF FIVE CRASH TENDERS, TWO HOSE LAYERS AND THREE RESCUE TENDERS AT THE AIRPORT.
REFERRING TO THE AIRFIELD CRASH TENDER, MR. OSBORNE SAID: +WHILE ACCOMMODATION IS PROVIDED FOR A CREW OF FIVE THE VEHICLE CAN, IN AN EMERGENCY, BE OPERATED BY ONE MAN.+
+THE TENDER HAS THE ABILITY TO DEAL QUICKLY AND DECISIVELY WITH FIRE EMERGENCIES INVOLVING CRASHED AIRCRAFT UP TO JUMBO PROPORTIONS.+
THE RAPID INTERVENTION VEHICLES ARE SIMILAR TO THE RESCUE TENDERS NOW IN USE AT THE AIRPORT.
APPLICATION FOR ENTRY FROM CHINA TEMPORARILY SUSPENDED
*****
AS A TEMPORARY MEASURE THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT IS NOT ACCEPTING ANY MORE APPLICATIONS FOR ADMISSION FROM CHINA OF RELATIVES OF HONG KONG RESIDENTS.
ANNOUNCING THIS TODAY (THURSDAY) A SPOKESMAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT EXPLAINED THAT, SINCE JANUARY 15, 1979, MORE THAN 100,000 APPLICATION FORMS HAVE BEEN ISSUED AND MORE THAN 11,000 APPLICATIONS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED FOR THE ENTRY OF RELATIVES FROM CHINA, AS COMPARED TO 231 IN THE WHOLE OF 1978.
BECAUSE OF THE VERY LARGE NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS AND THE BACKLOG OF WORK CREATED IT HAS BECOME NECESSARY TO SUSPEND THE ISSUE OF NEW APPLICATION FORMS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.
/2.....