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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1983
BIG DRIVE TO BEAT DRY SEASON FIRES
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MAJOR EFFORTS HAVE BEEN MADE TO REDUCE THE DANGERS OF SQUATTER AND HILL FIRES DURING THE DRY SEASON, SAID THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, THE HON MR DAIVD JEAFFRESON, IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
HE WAS REPLYING TO A QUESTION BY THE HON WONG LAM, WHO ASKED WHAT HAD BEEN DONE TO PREVENT SUCH FIRES.
DURING THE FIRST 10 MONTHS OF THIS YEAR, SAID MR JEAFFRESON, THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT MADE OVER 1 200 VISITS TO SQUATTER AREAS TO PUBLICISE FIRE SAFETY MEASURES, AT THE SAME TIME THEY ENCOURAGED THE FORMATION OF FIRE WATCH TEAMS AND GAVE ASSISTANCE TO THEM. THERE ARE NOW 33 NEW FIRE WATCH TEAMS IN SQUATTER AREAS WHICH HAVE UNDERGONE, OR ARE UNDERGOING, TRAINING BY FIRE SERVICES OFFICERS.
+ IN ADDITION, THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT HAS THIS YEAR CARRIED OUT 12 LARGE-SCALE EXERCISES IN SELECTED SQUATTER AREAS POTENTIALLY VULNERABLE TO FIRE, HE SAID.
THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT HAS ALSO IMPLEMENTED IMPROVEMENTS IN 17 SQUATTER AREAS, PAYING PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO FIRE SAFETY INCLUDING THE PROVISION OF FIREBREAKS AND WATER PIPE LINES WITH HYDRANTS, ALL SQUATTER AREAS ARE TO BE PROVIDED WITH SUCH FACILITIES,
ONE OF THE MAIN CAUSES OF FIRE IN SQUATTER AREAS IS THE ILLEGAL TAPPING OF ELECTRICITY, SAID MR JE AFFRESON. POLICE ARE ACTIVE IN DETECTING AND PROSECUTING OFFENDERS, AND THE HOUSING AUTHORITY IS TO PROVIDE LEGAL SUPPLIES WHEREVER PRACTICABLE.
ON HILL FIRES, MR JEAFFRESON SAID THAT A JOINT WORKING PARTY, WITH FIRE SERVICES, AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES AND POLICE REPRESENTATIVES HAD BEEN OPERATING SINCE 1980. THIS GROUP CO-ORDINATED EFFORTS TO COMBAT COUNTRYSIDE FIRES. THE COUNTRY PARKS AUTHORITY HAD INTRODUCED A NUMBER OF IMPORTANT MEASURES TO IMPROVE FIRE FIGHTING CAPABILITIES.
PUBLICITY WAS AN IMPORTANT ASPECT OF THE EFFORT TO REDUCE SQUATTER AND HILL FIRES, HE SAID.
THE SUBJECT IS ACCORDED MAJOR CAMPAIGN STATUS AND DUR ING THE CURRENT YEAR $600 000 IS BEING SPENT TO GET THE MESSAGE ACROSS. POSTERS AND LEAFLETS WERE BEING WIDELY DISTRIBUTED, IN SQUATTER AREAS, COUNTRY PARKS, AND AT OTHER LOCATIONS AROUND HONG KONG AND DAILY WARNINGS WERE BEING BROADCAST BY RADIO AND TELEVISION STATIONS.
+1 MUST EMPHASISE, HE SAID, THAT ALL THESE EFFORTS WILL ONLY BE EFFECTIVE WITH THE CO-OPERATION OF THE PUBLIC AND I WOULD APPEAL TO ALL RESIDENTS IN SQUATTER AREAS AND TO ALL VISITORS TO THE COUNTRYSIDE, TO EXERCISE PARTICULAR CARE AND VIGILANCE
AND TO OBSERVE BASIC FIRE PRECAUTIONS DURING THE CURRENT DRY SEASON.+
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