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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1985
CAS RESCUE UNIT PRAISED FOR GOOD WORK
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THE CIVIL AID SERVICES MOUNTAIN RESCUE UNIT WAS CONTINUING TO IMPROVE IN CAPABILITY AND EXPERTISE, THE INSPECTOR OF LAND RESCUE AT THE MINISTRY OF DEFENCE IN THE U.K., SQUADRON LEADER G. J. BLACKBURN, SAID RECENTLY.
REPORTING ON HIS THIRD BIENNIAL INSPECTION OF THE CAS UNIT SQUADRON LEADER BLACKBURN SAID THAT DURING THE FIVE EXERCISES IN WHICH HE TOOK PART WITH THE MRU BETWEEN DECEMBER 2 AND 8 LAST YEAR, THE MEMBERS SHOWED THEMSELVES TO BE VERY PROFESSIONAL+,
THROUGHOUT THE EXERCISES, WHICH INCLUDED TESTS ON NAVIGATION AND COMMUNICATIONS, ROCK CLIMBING, STRETCHER LOWERING, NIGHT SEARCH AND RESCUE, AND OVERNIGHT EXPEDITION, THE UNIT IMPRESSED HIM AS BEING A HIGHLY MOTIVATED, ENTHUSIASTIC AND WELL-ORGANISED TEAM+.
+THIS WAS MY THIRD INSPECTION OF THE MRU, AND IT HAD BEEN GRATIFYING TO NOTICE THE IMPROVEMENT IN CAPABILITIES AND EXPERTISE WITH EACH SUBSEQUENT VISIT, HE SAID.
+PERSONNEL ARE ENTHUSIASTIC AND LED BY SOME HIGHLY MOTIVATED AND DEDICATED INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE SHOWN THEMSELVES WILLING TO DEVOTE A LOT OF THEIR OWN FREE TIME TO THE MRU, AND AT THE SAME TIME LEARN AS MUCH AS THEY CAN THEMSELVES ABOUT THE IR VOLUNTARY TASK.+
+THE CIVIL AID SERVICES HAVE AN ASSET IN THE MRU, AND I HAVE EVERY CONFIDENCE THAT IN THE COMING YEARS - GIVEN THE CURRENT BACK ING - THEY WILL GO FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH.+
LAST YEAR THE MRU RESPONDED TO 74 STAND-BY AND CALL-OUT OPERATIONS.
STUDIES SHOW PUBLIC HOUSING BLOCKS SAFE
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IN RESPONSE TO QUESTIONS CONCERNING THE STRUCTURAL SAFETY OF SOME PUBLIC HOUSING BLOCKS, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY TODAY REITERATED THAT ALL ESTATE BLOCKS WERE STRUCTURALLY SAFE.
AN AUTHORITY SPOKESMAN SAID THIS WAS CONCLUDED BY HOUSING DEPARTMENT PROFESSIONALS AND CONSULTANTS AFTER DETAILED INVESTIGATIONS TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE BUILDINGS' PERFORMANCE TO DATE, THEIR STRUCTURAL DESIGN AND ESTABLISHED LOADING.
HE POINTED OUT THAT CONCRETE WAS ONE OF THE VARIOUS FACTORS WHICH HAD A BEARING ON THE STRUCTURAL STRENGTH OF A BUILDING.
/+STRUCTURAL SURVEYS