FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2, 1981
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FIRE WATCH TEAMS TOP 100 MARK
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MORE RESIDENTS OF SQUATTER AREAS AND VILLAGES ARE AWAKENING TO THE PERILS THAT FIRE BRINGS TO THEIR LIVES AND PROPERTIES.
IN RESPONSE TO THE GOVERNMENT'S CALL, VOLUNTEERS FROM THESE AREAS TODAY (FRIDAY) FORMED 25 NEW FIRE WATCH TEAMS TO JOIN IN THE FIGHT AGAINST FIRE.
THE NEW PATROLS COMPRISE 13 FROM URBAN SQUATTER AREAS AND 12 FROM NEW TERRITORIES VILLAGES, INCLUDING TWO FROM LANTAU ISLAND.
THEY ARE THE FIFTH GROUP OF FIRE WATCH TEAMS TO BE FORMED UNDER THE FIRE WATCH SCHEME, IMPLEMENTED IN FEBRUARY 1979 BY THE HOME AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT, THE NEW TERRITORIES ADMINISTRATION AND THE INFORMATION SERVICES DEPARTMENT IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
TO DATE, 108 TEAMS HAVE BEEN FORMED.
TODAY'S OCCASION WAS DESCRIBED BY THE CHIEF FIRE OFFICER OF THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT, NEW TERRITORIES COMMAND, MR FRED JACKSON, AS A FURTHER MILESTONE TOWARDS BETTER FIRE PRECAUTION AND PREVENTION IN HONG KONG.
SPEAKING AT THE INAUGURATION CEREMONY AT SHA TIN FIRE STATION, MR JACKSON COMMENDED THE VOLUNTEERS FOR THEIR COMMUNITY SPIRIT IN ORGANISING THEMSELVES FOR THE BETTER PROTECTION OF THEIR NEIGHBOURHOOD AGAINST FIRE.
HE SAID1 +FINDING AND GIVING UP ONE'S TIME IN ORDER TO BE TRAINED AND IF NECESSARY, BE ON CALL NOT ONLY IN OUR DRY LOW HUMIDITY PERIODS BUT THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, IS NOT ALWAYS EASY. IT CALLS FOR SOME SACRIFICE OF LEISURE TIME AND DEMANDS A GREAT UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN FAMILY MEMBERS.
+THE FACT THAT YOU HAVE JOINED SUCH A WORTHWHILE CAUSE IS IN ITSELF MOST HEARTENING AND I SINCERELY HOPE THAT WITH ADEQUATE TRAINING FROM PROFESSIONAL OFFICERS YOU YOURSELVES AND THOSE YET TO COME, WILL EMERGE AS TRUE SEMI-PROFESSIONALS.+
MR JACKSON SAID THE DANGERS AND HAZARDS OF FIRES WERE EVER PRESENT. +BUT WITH IMMEDIATE ACTION BY YOU, YOUR COLLEAGUES AND FRIENDS, THEY CAN BE REDUCED AND CONTROLLED,+ HE ADDED.
+ IT IS NOT AN EASY BATTLE AND ONE WHICH WILL NOT BE OVERCOME BY LETHARGY.+
ALSO OFFICIATING AT TODAY'S CEREMONY WERE CHAIRMAN OF THE HEUNG YEE KUK, MR LAU WONG-FAT, ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES, MRS SHELLEY LAU AND ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF HOME AFFAIRS, MR KEITH KWOK.
AFTER THE CEREMONY, THE TAI WAI FIRE WATCH TEAM AND THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT JOINTLY PRESENTED A SPECIAL FIRE FIGHTING DEMONSTRATION FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE NEW TEAM MEMBERS.
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