WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 1991
FIRE SERVICES INSTALLATIONS IN ESTATES ARE OPERATIONALLY SOUND: S FOR S
THERE HAS GENERALLY BEEN NO PROBLEM WITH THE OPERATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS OF ALL FIRE SERVICES INSTALLATIONS IN PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES, THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, THE HON ALISTAIR ASPREY, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
REPLYING TO A QUESTION BY THE HON ROSANNA TAM, MR ASPREY SAID REGULATION 8 OF THE FIRE SERVICE (INSTALLATIONS AND EQUIPMENT) REGULATIONS REQUIRED THE OWNERS OF ANY FIRE SERVICES INSTALLATIONS EQUIPMENT TO KEEP THEM IN EFFICIENT WORKING ORDER AT ALL TIMES AND то HAVE THEM INSPECTED BY REGISTERED CONTRACTORS AT LEAST ONCE EVERY 12 MONTHS.
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"AT PRESENT, ALL FIRE SERVICES INSTALLATIONS AND EQUIPMENT PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES ARE INSPECTED AND TESTED BY REGISTERED FIRE SERVICES CONTRACTORS TWICE A YEAR, HE SAID.
FOLLOWING EACH INSPECTION, MR ASPREY SAID A MAINTENANCE CERTIFICATE WOULD BE SUBMITTED ΤΟ THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT CONFIRMING THAT THE INSTALLATIONS AND EQUIPMENT WERE IN EFFICIENT WORKING ORDER IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CODE OF PRACTICE.
IN ADDITION, FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT STAFF VISITED AND INSPECTED BUILDINGS WITHIN THEIR RESPECTIVE STATION AREAS ON THEIR OWN INITIATIVE FOR TRAINING AND FAMILIARISATION, OR UPON RECEIPT OF COMPLAINTS, THE SECRETARY ADDED.
MR ASPREY NOTED THAT AT PRESENT, A TOTAL OF 46 HOUSING ESTATES, CONTAINING 225 BUILDINGS, WERE FITTED WITH DRY RISER FIRE SERVICES INSTALLATIONS SIMILAR TO THOSE IN HO MAN TIN ESTATE.
FIFTY-ONE OF THESE BUILDINGS WERE DUE TO BE DEMOLISHED WITHIN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS FOR REDEVELOPMENT.
"FOR THE REMAINDER, AN IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMME IS UNDERWAY ΤΟ CONVERT THE EXISTING DRY RISER INSTALLATIONS INTO WET RISER SYSTEMS. WHICH IS THE STANDARD IN ALL NEW PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES," HE SAID.
STATISTICS WERE NOT READILY AVAILABLE ON THE NUMBER OF PRIVATE BUILDINGS FITTED WITH DRY RISER SYSTEMS, MR ASPREY SAID.
ON THE RECENT FIRE IN HO MAN TIN ESTATE IN WHICH FOUR CHILDREN WERE BURNT TO DEATH, MR ASPREY SAID THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT WAS NOW CONDUCTING AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE,
THIS WAS EXPECTED TO TAKE ABOUT ONE MONTH TO COMPLETE.
"THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE FIRE AND THE TRAGIC DEATHS WHICH RESULTED ARE LIKELY TO BE THE SUBJECT OF A SUBSEQUENT CORONER'S INQUIRY, AND SO I WOULD NOT WISH TO COMMENT FURTHER AT THIS STAGE, HE ADDED.
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