# REPORT OF THE CHIEF OFFICER
# HONG KONG FIRE BRIGADE FOR THE YEAR 1930
1. Cost of Fire Brigade. The cost of the Fire Brigade for the year 1930 was $315,431.00 including Special expenditure amounting to $99,833.00 on additional equipment as against $232,826 in 1929.
2. Stations and Equipment. The main item of special expenditure was a new Motor Fire Float costing $163,100, part of which cost remains to be defrayed in 1931. Tenders were called for this float and construction started late in 1930. Delivery is due in May 1931. The new float, which is a twin-screw vessel, is being equipped with a twin set of 166 h.p. Gardner petrol-kerosine engines with twin sets of Merryweather fire and salvage pumps, each pump having a delivery of 1,000 gallons per minute at 90 lbs. pressure.
There are six four-inch deliveries and three monitors. On completion of this float, the Brigade will then be equipped with three fire floats as follows:
No. 1. Large steam float with two pumps, each having a delivery of 2,000 gallons per minute at 150 lbs. pressure and three monitors. No. 2. Motor float now under construction. Each pump has a pumping capacity of 1,000 gallons per minute at 90 lbs. pressure. No. 3. Small steam float, for duty in outlying districts, with pumping capacity of 850 gallons per minute at 100 lbs. pressure.No Station construction was undertaken during the year owing to lack of funds. The Brigade still occupies temporary premises at all Sub-Stations, i.e., Wanchai and Kennedy Town in Hong Kong and Mong Kok in Kowloon.
3. Special Occurrences.
(a) Fires, Loss of life and Rescues. There were fortunately no very serious fires or collapses. Fatalities at fires amounted to twelve in all. Four persons were burned at a fire on board a petrol-laden junk in Gin Drinkers Bay, three in matshed fires, and the remaining five were trapped in the top of buildings, three in Hong Kong and two in Kowloon. These buildings in each case were stored with inflammable goods, which quickly involved the staircase and cut off all means of escape; in the first case (12 Smithfield, Kennedy Town), the three persons were fatally injured by jumping from the building, and in the second, 196 and 198 Shanghai Street, the two persons were burnt to death before the arrival of the Brigade. In this latter fire, three persons were rescued by firemen from the roof of No. 198.
(b) Fire Legislation. On 16th October, an Amendment of the Public Health and Buildings Ordinance (No. 1 of 1903) was passed, which enacted that the main staircases in any building of more than two storeys used as a public building or tenement...
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REPORT OF THE CHIEF OFFICER
HONG KONG FIRE BRIGADE FOR THE YEAR 1930
1. Cost of Fire Brigade. The cost of the Fire Brigade .for the year 1930 was $315,431.00 including Special expenditure amounting to $99,833.00 on additional equipment as against $232,826 in 1929.
2. Stations and Equipment.-The main item of special expenditure was a new Motor Fire Float costing $163,100 part of which cost remains to be defrayed in 1931. Tenders were called for this float and construction started late in 1930. Delivery is due in May 1931. The new float which is a twin-screw vessel is being equipped with a twin set of 1166 h.p. Gardner petrol- kerosine engines with twin sets of Merryweather fire and salvage pumps, each pump having a delivery of 1,000 gallons per minute at 90 lbs. pressure.
There are six tour-inch deliveries and three monitors. On completion of this float the Brigade will then be equipped with three fire floats as follows:—
No. 1. Large steam float with two pumps each having à delivery of 2,000 gallons per minute at 150 lbs. pressure and three monitors.
No. 2.
Motor float now under construction. Each pump has a pumping capacity of 1,000 gallons per minute at 90 lbs. pressure.
No. 3. Small steam float, for duty in outlying districts with pumping capacity of 850 gallons per minute at 100 lbs. pressure.
No Station construction was undertaken during the year owing to lack of funds. The Brigade still occupies temporary premises at all Sub Stations i.e. Wanchai and Kennedy Town in Hong Kong and Mong Kok in Kowloon.
3. Special Occurrences.
(a) Fires, Loss of life and Rescues.-There were fortunately no very serious fires or collapses. Fatalities at fires amounted to twelve in all. Four persons were burned at a fire on board a petrol laden junk in Gin Drinkers Bay, three in matshed fires, and the remaining five were trapped in the top of buildings, three in Hong Kong and two in Kowloon. These buildings in each case were stored with inflammable goods which quickly involved the staircase and cut off all means of escape; in the first case (12 Smithfield, Kennedy Town) the three persons were fatally injured by jumping from the building and in the second, 196 and 198 Shanghai Street, the two persons were burnt to death before the arrival of the Brigade. In this latter fire three persons were rescued by firemen from the roof of No. 198.
(b) Fire Legislation.-On 16th October an Amendment of the Public Health and Buildings Ordinance (No. 1 of 1903) was passed which enacted that the main staircases in any building of more than two storeys used as a public building or tenement
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