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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 1980
FIRE SERVICES HELPING MORE PEOPLE IN DISTRESS
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THE FIRE SERVICES RESPONDED TO A RECORD HIGH NUMBER OF 217 889 CALLS FOR ASSISTANCE OF ALL KINDS DURING LAST YEAR, 1979.
A SPOKESMAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT SAID THIS MEANT AN INCREASE OF 28 752 CALLS COMPARED WITH 189 137 IN 1978.
OF THE TOTAL CALLS RESPONDED TO DURING THE YEAR BY THE OPERATIONAL DIVISIONS OF THE FIRE SERVICES INCLUDING BOTH THE FIRE AND AMBULANCE COMMANDS, 13 107 WERE FIRE ALARMS, RESULTING IN 45 PEOPLE KILLED, 768 INJURED AND THOUSANDS ENDANGERED, REQUIRING RESCUE BY FIREMEN,
IN ADDITION, THE SPOKESMAN SAID, 199 152 AMBULANCE CALLS AND 5 630 SPECIAL CALLS WERE ANSWERED AND DEALT WITH.
+THESE REPRESENT AN AVERAGE OF ABOUT 596 REPONSES FROM FIRE AND AMBULANCE STATIONS THROUGHOUT HONG KONG EACH 24 HOURS. THE REQUESTS FOR HELP RANGED FROM A SICKNESS OR ACCIDENT CALL FOR AN AMBULANCE TO A REPORT OF CONFLAGRATION LASTING 24 HOURS OR MORE AND
INVOLVING MORE THAN 200 FIREMEN, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
SO AS TO BE CONSTANTLY PREPARED FOR THESE EMERGENCIES, THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT ABOUT 4 500 OFFICERS OPERATING A FLEET OF 130 AMBULANCES AND 500 FIRE APPLIANCES AND FIREBOATS, WORKING IN SHIFTS, WERE DEPLOYED.
TO FURTHER IMPROVE THEIR RESCUE AND FIRE-FIGHTING CAPABILITY, THREE 50-METRE TURNTABLE LADDER APPLIANCES - THE TALLEST PIECES OF APPARATUS AVAILABLE WHICH CAN BE USED IN HONG KONG WERE COMMISSIONED IN MARCH LAST YEAR.
IN ADDITION, THREE NEW 37-METRE TURNTABLE LADDER APPLIANCES
ALSO JOINED THE FLEET DURING THE YEAR.
+TYPES AND STANDARDS OF FIRE APPLIANCES AVAILABLE WORLDWIDE ARE KEPT CONSTANTLY UNDER REVIEW AND ALL NEW DEVELOPMENTS ARE EVALUATED FOR THEIR POTENTIAL USEFULNESS IN HONG KONG, THE SPOKESMAN ADDED.
ANOTHER MAJOR ACQUIREMENT BY THE FIRE SERVICES LAST YEAR WAS A $10 MILLION CENTRALISED COMMUNICATIONS AND CONTROL SYSTEM WHICH CAME
INTO OPERATION IN OCTOBER. THE SYSTEM WAS AIMED AT BETTER MOBILISATION OF RESOURCES -- THE 5 500 MEN AND MORE THAN 600 VEHICLES OF THE DEPARTMENT.
WHEN THE SOPHISTICATED NETWORK BECOMES FULLY OPERATIONAL NEXT MONTH, THE SPOKESMAN SAID, IT WILL ELIMINATE THE NEED FOR MANUALLY OPERATED COMMUNICATION IN FIRE AND AMBULANCE STATIONS.
+THIS MEANS SAVINGS IN STAFF OF ABOUT 200 MEN AND IN THE ANNUAL PAYROLL OF ABOUT $6 MILLION.
/+AT THE