XN000022-1976-08-13 — Page 8

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FRIDAY, AUGUST 13, 1976

FIREMEN AND AMBULANCEMEN COMMENDED

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FOURTEEN MEMBERS OF THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT WERE TODAY (FRIDAY) HIGHLY COMMENDED FOR THEIR COURAGE, TENACITY AND DEVOTION TO DUTY WHICH THEY DISPLAYED DURING A THIRD ALARM FIRE IN KOWLOON EARLY THIS YEAR.

AT A CEREMONY HELD AT THE MONGKOK FIRE STATION THIS MORNING THE CHIEF FIRE OFFICER (KOWLOON), MR. FRED JACKSON, PRESENTED THE GOVERNOR'S COMMENDATION TO PRINCIPAL FIREMAN MAK SUM THE DIRECTOR OF FIRE SERVICES HIGH COMMENDATIONS TO FIREMEN LEE KWOK-FAN, CHAN. CHI-MING AND WAI SHIU-FAI AND THE DIRECTOR OF FIRE SERVICES COMMENDATION TO DIVISIONAL OFFICER TAI CHUN-LAU.

AT THE SAME CEREMONY, THE CHIEF AMBULANCE OFFICER, MR. BILL DOORE, ALSO PRESENTED HIS COMMENDATIONS TO NINE AMBULANCE OFFICERS. THEY WERE SENIOR AMBULANCEMEN WONG PEE-TAK, CHAN YUK-LUNG AND CHAN LOY-SUN, AMBULANCEMEN LAM WING-KEUNG, WONG YEE-FONG, WONG YIM-SANG, WONG WEI-SING, LO CHI-MING AND POON YUEN-WING.

THE 14 RECIPIENTS WERE RECOGNISED FOR THE PART THEY PLAYED IN THE RESCUE OPERATIONS DURING A FIRE WHICH BROKE OUT AT NOS. 1 - 9 CHEUNG SHA STREET, KOWLOON, ON FEBRUARY 19 THIS YEAR.

THE FIRE STARTED ON THE SECOND FLOOR OF THE BUILDING SHORTLY BEFORE 6 A.M. AND DUE TO THE INTENSIVE USE OF TIMBER FOR PARTITIONS AND DECOR INSIDE THE FLAT, THE BLAZE SPREAD RAPIDLY.

AS A RESULT, FIRE AND SMOKE QUICKLY ENGULFED THE STAIRCASES, THREATENING THE LIVES OF SOME 150 PEOPLE ON THE UPPER FLOORS, MOST OF WHOM WERE STILL ASLEEP AT THAT TIME.

PRINCIPAL FIREMAN MAK AND THE THREE FIREMEN CONCERNED WERE THE CREW OF AN EMERGENCY TENDER DESPATCHED FROM THE MONGKOK FIRE STATION TO THE SCENE THAT MORNING.

ON ARRIVAL THEY SAW THE FIRST AND THE SECOND FLOORS WERE BURNING FURIOUSLY WITH SMOKE LOGGING THE UPPER FLOORS.

AFTER TELLING THE OCCUPANTS OF THE UPPER FLOORS NOT TO JUMP THE TEAM ENTERED THE BUILDING AND LED THEM TO SAFETY. AMONG THOSE RESCUED WERE A PREGNANT WOMAN, AN UNCONSCIOUS BOY AND AN OLD WOMAN WHO HAD TO BE CARRIED DOWN.

PRINCIPAL FIREMAN MAK LATER FOUND A SEMI-CONSCIOUS BOY ON THE STAIRCASE BETWEEN THE 7TH AND 8TH FLOORS. ALTHOUGH BY THIS TIME HE HIMSELF WAS NEAR EXHAUSTION, HE PICKED UP THE CHILD AND CARRIED HIM DOWN THE CONGESTED STAIRS TO THE STREET WHERE HE COLLAPSED BEFORE HE COULD REACH AN AMBULANCE, WITH THE CHILD STILL CLASPED IN HIS ARMS. BOTH OF THEM WERE CONVEYED TO HOSPITAL FOR TREATMENT.

WHILE THEIR OFFICER-IN-CHARGE WAS BEING SENT TO HOSPITAL, FIREMEN LEE, CHAN AND WAI ON THEIR OWN INITIATIVE CONTINUED THE IR SEARCH OF THE UPPER FLOORS AND SUCCESSFULLY ESCORTED MANY TENANTS TO SAFETY.

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