XN000022-1973-04-21 — Page 3

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Saturday, April 21, 1973

The 999 system for emergency telephone calls is also equipped

to handle reports of accidents and damage arising from storm conditions.

The control room is manned 24 hours a day to deal with calls from all over

Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the New Territories, and is linked directly

to fire and ambulance services.

All 999 cars are attached to emergency units and are on continuous

patrol. They are in radio contact with control and can be promptly

directed to the scene of any landslide, house collapse or other incident.

There are two emergency units in Kowloon, one on Hong Kong Island

and one in the New Territories, each comprising three platoons which operate

on eight-hour shifts. These units form a task force for tackling any emergency

that may arise in a police district.

Disaster

In a disaster, additional controllers are brought into the control

rooms and a command post, with a senior officer in charge, is set up at

Police cordon off the area, take initial rescue action and protect

the scone.

property.

Marine Police launches are available to ferry emergency medical

cases from remote areas and outlying islands to urban hospital facilities.

These operations can also be directed by the 999 call system.

During emergencies, all staff of Government Information Services

are mobilised on a shift basis, and the news room becomes a nerve centre

for passing on the latest weather information and reporting on conditions

throughout the Colony.

/Team of