THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 1981
MORE LIFE-GUARDS TO PROTECT SWIMMERS
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THERE A CONSTANT DEMAND FOR QUALIFIED AND PHYSICALLY FIT LIFE-GARDS TO LOOK AFTER THE SAFETY OF SWIMMERS AND BEACH-GOERS IN PUBLIC SWIMMING POOLS AND GAZETTED BEACHES THROUGHOUT THE NEW TERRITORIES, THE DIRETOR OF NEW TERRITORIES SERVICES, MR JIMMY SWEETHAN SAID TODAY (URSDAY).
SPEAKING AT THE CERTIFICATE PRESENTATION FOR THE FIRST BATCH OF NTSD-TRAINED LIFE-GUARDS 'T THE KWAI SHING SWIMMING POOLS, MR SWEETMAN SAID THE LIFE-GUARD TEAM OF THE NEW TERRITORIES IS CONTINUOUSLY EXPANDING TO KEEP ABREAST OF THE INCREASING SWIMMING FACILITIES.
HE URGED SERVING OFFICERS AND YOUNG PEOPLE TO COME FORWARD TO BE MEMBERS OF THE TEAM AND TO TAKE PART IN THE WORTHWHILE LIFE-SAVING JOB.
+THIS DEPARTMENT LAUNCHED REGULAR RECRUITMENT EXERCISE FOR LIFE-GUARDS AS WE RELY ON A TEAM OF SOME 300 MEMBERS TO PROVIDE LIFE-SAVING SERVICES AT 29 GAZETTED BEACHES AND THREE PUBLIC SWIMMING POOLS.+
+ IN SUMMER, THIS REGULAR TEAM IS SUPPLEMENTED BY A NUMBER OF PART-TIME LIFE-GUARDS, HE SAID.
COMMENTING ON NEW BEACHES AND NEW SWIMMING POOLS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES, MR SWEETMAN SAID THE SHA TIN JOCKEY CLUB PUBLIC SWIMMING POOL WAS OPENED IN APRIL AND THE TUNG WAN BEACH IN MA WAN ISLAND HAD JUST BEEN GAZETTED.
+NEXT YEAR, WE WILL OPEN ANOTHER NEW PUBLIC SWIMMING POOL COMPLEX IN YUEN LONG AND MORE POOLS ARE BEING PLANNED FOR OTHER NEW TOWNS INCLUDING TUEN MUN, TSUEN WAN AND KWA! CHUNG, HE SAID.
ON PUBLIC BEACHES, MR SWEETMAN SAID PLANS TO GAZETTE MORE POPULAR BEACHES ARE ALSO IN THE PIPE LINE.
ON LIFE-SAVING, HE SAID A CRASH PROGRAMME WAS STARTED EARLY THIS YEAR TO TRAIN NTSD OFFICERS TO BE QUALIFIED LIFE-GUARDS. FORTY OFFICERS HAVE SUCCESSFULLY OBTAINED THE BRONZE MEDALLION LIFE-SAVING QUAL IF ICATION AND VALID FIRST AID CERTIFICATES. TWENTY- TWO OF THEM ARE NOW SERVING IN VARIOUS SWIMMING POOLS AND GAZETTED BEACHES IN THE NEW TERRITORIES.
THIS REPRESENTED ABOUT ONE-THIRD OF THE TOTAL INTAKE OF NEW LIFE-GUARDS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS AND HAS HELPED STRENGTHEN THE LIFE-SAVING TEAM SUBSTANTIALLY, MR SWEETMAN CONTINUED.
MR SWEETMAN PAID TRIBUTE TO THE CONCERTED EFFORTS BY THE ST. JOHN AMBULANCE ASSOCIATION, THE AUXILIARY MEDICAL SERVICES, THE ROYAL LIFE-SAVING SOCIETY AND THE LIFE-GUARD INSTRUCTORS FOR THE SUCCESS OF THE TRAINING PROGRAMME.
ALSO AT THE CEREMONY WERE THE DIRECTOR OF URBAN SERVICES, MR ALLAN BRISTOW AND THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR (PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT) OF NEW TERRITORIES SERVICES, MR CHEUNG FOOK-KAM,
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