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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 1993
PREPARATIONS
HE NOTED, HOWEVER, THAT PERFECT NOR COULD THEY BE EVENTUALITIES.
NO EXPECTED
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OR PLANS COULD BE FORESEE AND COPE WITH ALL
"BUT WE ARE CONSTANTLY SEEKING IMPROVEMENT.
NEED
"IF AND WHEN EXPERIENCE SHOWS THAT SOME PART OF OUR PLANS TO BE IMPROVED, THE GOVERNMENT WILL TAKE IMMEDIATE STEPS TO MAKE THE CHANGES THAT ARE NECESSARY."
THE RAINSTORM WARNING SYSTEM, INTRODUCED IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE SEVERE RAINSTORM IN MAY LAST YEAR, IS A CASE IN POINT, HE ADDED.
MR ASPREY STRESSED THAT TO MAKE ANY DISASTER REDUCTION PLAN EFFECTIVE, VIGILANCE AND PLANNING ON THE PART OF THE GOVERNMENT ALONE WERE NOT SUFFICIENT AND THE PUBLIC ALSO HAD AN IMPORTANT ROLE TO PLAY.
HE HOPED THAT THE EXHIBITION AND SEMINAR WOULD INSTIL AWARENESS IN THE COMMUNITY, AND So CONTRIBUTE TO OUR GOVERNMENT'S CONSTANT EFFORTS TO REDUCE THE EFFECTS OF NATURAL DISASTERS IN HONG KONG.
ALSO OFFICIATING AT THE OPENING TODAY WERE EDUCATION, MR DOMINIC WONG AND DIRECTOR OF THE ROYAL PATRICK SHAM.
THE DIRECTOR OF OBSERVATORY, MR
MR SHAM SAID THE PRIME CONSIDERATION IN ISSUING ANY WARNING WAS ALWAYS THE SAFEGUARDING OF HUMAN LIVES AND LIVELIHOOD A PRINCIPLE OF PRIORITY THAT SHOULD NEVER BE ALTERED.
P
HE POINTED OUT THAT THERE FIRST NEEDED TO BE AN EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT WARNING SYSTEM TO REDUCE THE IMPACT OF ANY NATURAL HAZARD AND TO AVOID A WEATHER-RELATED DISASTER.
HAVE
OVER THE YEARS, THE WARNING SYSTEMS OPERATED BY THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY FOR THE TROPICAL CYCLONES AND HEAVY RAINSTORMS UNDERGONE SOME CHANGES AND IMRPOVEMENTS HAVE BEEN INTRODUCED.
"THESE CHANGES ARE AIMED AT ENSURING PUBLIC THE WARNINGS AND THEIR TIMELY RECEIPT, HE SAID.
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UNDERSTANDING
OF
THE EXHIBITION AND THE SEMINAR WERE JOINTLY ORGANISED BY EDUCATION DEPARTMENT AND THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY. ATTENDED BY SOME 80 SCHOOL PRINCIPALS AND TEACHERS.
THE
THE LATTER
WAS
FOR SECURITY
MR AT THE SEMINAR, PRINCIPAL ASSISTANT SECRETARY FRANKIE. LUI TALKED ABOUT CO-ORDINATION OF EMERGENCY WORK DURING NATURAL DISASTERS WHILE MR W M LEUNG OF ROYAL, OBSERVATORY AND MR M L LAU OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT SPOKE ON FORECAST AND WARNINGS OF TROPICAL CYCLONES AND RAINSTORMS AND LIAISON WITH SCHOOLS DURING DISASTERS,
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