MONDAY, DECEMBER 24, 1979
CAS HELPS PREVENT HILL FIRE
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MEMBERS OF THE CIVIL AID SERVICES AND ITS CADETS FREQUENTLY SACRIFICE THEIR WEEKENDS AND HOLIDAYS TO ASSIST THE FIRE SERVICES AND AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT IN PREVENTING COUNTRYSIDE FIRES.
THE VOLUNTEERS TURN OUT AT THE COUNTRY PARKS AND BARBECUE SITES, TO ADVISE PICNICKERS ON WHERE TO LIGHT BARBECUE FIRES, AND TO ENSURE THAT PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES SET OUT IN THE COUNTRY PARKS CODE ARE OBSERVED, SAID MR. CHAN CHUN-YING, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF CAS OPERATIONS.
SINCE THE ONSET OF THE DRY SEASON IN OCTOBER, SOME 140 CAS MEMBERS AND 30 CADETS HAVE BEEN MOBILISED ON EACH OF THE SATURDAY AFTERNOONS, SUNDAYS AND PUBLIC HOLIDAYS, WHEN THE YELLOW OR RED FIRE DANGER WARNING IS GIVEN OUT.
+THE VOLUNTEERS ARE STATIONED AT STRATEGIC POINTS. BO ARE POSTED AT THE PAK HEUNG FIRE SERVICES TRAINING SCHOOL AND FIRE STATIONS IN TUEN MUN, SHA TIN AND SAI KUNG- A FURTHER 60 ADULT MEMBERS AND 30 CADETS ARE BASED AT SHING MUN COUNTRY PARK AND ROUTE TWISK MANAGEMENT AREA READY FOR PATROLLING AND RAPID DEPLOYMENT,+ MR. CHAN SAID.
+ADDITIONAL MEMBERS ARE MOBILISED TO ASSIST DURING FESTIVE PER IODS WHEN LARGE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE FLOCK TO THE COUNTRYSIDE, SUCH AS DURING THE CHING MING, CHUNG YEUNG, CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR HOLIDAYS+ HE SAID.
MR. CHAN POINTED OUT THAT ALL CAS MEMBERS ARE TRAINED IN THE BASIC KNOWLEDGE OF HILL FIRE FIGHTING WHICH ENABLES THEM TO EFFICIENTLY BACK UP THE REGULAR FIREMEN AND FORESTRY RANGERS.
+HOWEVER, IN VIEW OF THE LARGE NUMBER AND THE SEVERITY OF HILL FIRES THIS WINTER, SPECIAL TRAINING COURSES ARE NOW BEING ORGANISED FOR CAS MEMBERS TO FURTHER IMPROVE THEIR EFFICIENCY- THESE COURSES ARE HELD ON-SITE DURING WEEKDAYS AND ON WEEKENDS,+ HE SAID.
THESE COURSES, CONDUCTED BY THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHER IES DEPARTMENT. INCLUDE TALKS AND PRACTICAL TRAINING ON COUNTRYSIDE CONSERVATION, HILL FIRE FIGHTING AND SAFETY MEASURES TO BE ADOPTED IN TIMES OF HIGH FIRE RISK.
ABOUT 240 CAS MEMBERS WILL RECEIVE SPECIAL TRAINING THIS MONTH, MR. CHAN SAID, AND MORE COURSES WILL BE CONDUCTED IN THE COMING YEAR.
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