XN000022-1977-02-13 — Page 1

香港政府

GS 新聞處

DAILY INFORMATION BULLETIN

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1977

IMPORTANT ROLE OF FOREST GUARDS

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DURING THE DRY WINTER MONTHS EVERY YEAR, A HANDFUL OF DEDICATED MEN FROM THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT PLAY A VITAL ROLE IN PROTECTING HONG KONG'S COUNTRYSIDE FROM FIRE.

THEY ARE THE DEPARTMENT'S HAND PICKED FOREST GUARDS WHO ARE SENT TO VARIOUS PARTS OF THE NEW TERRITORIES TO PERFORM SPECIAL DUTIES FOR SEVEN MONTHS STARTING FROM OCTOBER EVERY YEAR.

THESE MEN SPEND THE WINTER IN +FIRE LOOKOUTS+ WHICH ARE STRATEGICALLY LOCATED ON TOP OF HILLS OVERLOOKING LARGE AREAS OF WOODLANDS MANAGED BY THE DEPARTMENT.

THERE ARE SEVEN SUCH LOOKOUT CABINS NESTLED ON TOP OF HILLS OF AT LEAST 1,200 FEET HIGH. THEY ARE AT GOLDEN HILL,

TAI MO SHAN, PAT HEUNG, TIN FU TSAI, LAM TEI, TAI PO KAU AND SHAP LONG.

EACH OF THESE LOOKOUT CABINS IS EQUIPPED WITH A FIELD TELEPHONE LINKING TO A FOREST MANAGEMENT CENTRE OR OFFICE. A WALKIE-TALKIE RADIO TRANSCEIVER, A PAIR OF BINOCULARS AND A MAP.

THE TAI MO SHAN LOOKOUT IS THE HIGHEST. THE FIRST SUCH POST WAS BUILT ON KAM SHAN IN 1956 AND THE LATEST ONE, BUILT FIVE YEARS AGO, IS ON LAM TEI.

FOUR EXPERIENCED MEN ARE ASSIGNED TO EACH LOOKOUT POST TO CARRY OUT FIRE SPOTTING DUTIES. THEY WORK ON TWO SHIFTS OF 24 HOURS EACH.

THESE MEN, WHO AT TIMES BRAVE ZERO DEGREE TEMPERATURES, SPEND A SPARTAN LIFE.

+BUT I DON'T MIND BEING UP HERE AT KAM SHAN (GOLDEN HILL),+ SAID MR. WONG CHOY, A FOREST GUARD WHO HAS BEEN WITH THE DEPARTMENT FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS.

+WE ARE USED TO BEING HERE AND IT KEEPS US FIT AND HEALTHY. ALTHOUGH AT TIMES IT DOES FEEL MONOTONOUS, BUT TIME PASSES VERY QUICKLY AND AFTER ALL I HAVE THE NEXT DAY FOR MYSELF AND CAN DO WHAT I LIKE.

+BESIDES THERE ARE TWO OF US HERE TO KEEP EACH OTHER COMPANY.+

MR. TANG KEI-LIM, WHO SHARES THE SHIFT WITH MR. WONG SAID HE TOO WAS USED TO THE TYPE OF WORK.

Issued by Government Information Services, Beaconsfield House, Hong Kong. Tel: 5-233191

/+THIS IS

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