XN000022-1978-06-05 — Page 6

MONDAY, JUNE 5, 1978

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NEW FIRE STATIONS IN CHUNG HOM KOK AND TUEN MUN COME INTO OPERATION

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TWO NEW FIRE STATIONS - ONE

- ONE IN CHUNG HOM KOK AND THE OTHER IN TUEN MUN NEW TOWN - HAVE COME INTO OPERATION AS PART OF THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT'S EXPANSION PROGRAMME TO PROVIDE SPEEDY FIRE CCVER TO AREAS THROUGHOUT HONG KONG.

THE CHUNG HOM KOK FIRE STATION IS HOUSED IN A THREE-STOREY BUILDING ON A 1,400 SQ. METRE SITE IN CHUNG HOM KOK ROAD WHILE THE ONE IN TUEN MUN NEW TOWN OCCUPIES THE FIRST AND SECOND FLOORS OF HING CHEUNG HOUSE IN TAI HING ESTATE.

BUILT AT A COST OF $1.8 MILLION, THE CHUNG HOM KOK STATION PROVIDES FIRE COVER TO REPULSE BAY AND STANLEY AREAS. IT HAS TWO FIRE APPLIANCES AND AN AMBULANCE AND 1S MANNED BY A COMPLIMENT OF TWO OFFICERS AND 30 FIREMEN.

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AS THE STATION IS LOCATED IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA WITH GARDEN FLATS AND ABUNDANT GREENERY, IT HAS BEEN SO DESIGNED AS TO ELEND IN WITH THIS RURAL SETTING WHILE AT THE SAME TIME RETAINING THE CHARACTERISTICS COMMON TO A STANDARD FIRE STATION.

THE HOSE DRYING TOWER OF THE STATION, NORMALLY A BULKY STRUCTURE, HAS BEEN MADE AS SLENDER AS POSSIBLE WHILE THE RAKING WALLS OVER THE APPLIANCE ROOM WERE SO CONSTRUCTED AS TO FURTHER ENHANCE THE APPEARANCE OF THE BUILDING.

OTHER FACILITIES INCLUDE A DRILL YARD, OFFICES, BARRACK ACCOMMODATION AND LOCKERS FOR STAFF ON DUTY, A RECREATION AND DINING ROOM, ABLUTION FACILITIES, STANBY QUARTERS FOR ADDITIONAL STAFF DURING EMERGENCIES AND QUARTERS FOR MARRIED OFFICERS.

THE ONE IN TUEN MUN IS A TEMPORARY FIRE STATION DESIGNED TO PROVIDE FIRE PROTECTION TO THE TUEN MUN NEW TOWN UNTIL A STANDARD AMBULANCE DEPOT AND DIVISIONAL FIRE STATION FOR THE AREA IS COMPLETED IN MID-1979.

THE FACILITIES IN THIS STATION INCLUDE ACCOMMODATION FOR THREE FIRE APPLIANCES AND QUARTERS FOR OFFICERS AND FIREMEN.

FIRE COVER TO THIS AREA WAS PREVIOUSLY PROVIDED BY SUN HUI AND YUEN LONG FIRE STATIONS. THE SUN HUI FIRE STATION HAS BEEN CONVERTEI INTO AN AMBULANCE STATION WITH FOUR AMBULANCES.

WITH THE OPENING OF THE CHUNG HOM KCK AND TAI HING FIRE STATIONS, THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT HAS AT PRESENT A TOTAL OF 40 FIRE STATIONS - 14 ON HONG KONG AND OUTLYING ISLANDS, 12 IN KOWLOON AND 14 IN THE NEW TERRITORIES.

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