XN000022-1978-12-28 — Page 4

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28, 1978

CAS MOVING INTO NEW TOWNS

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THE CIVIL AID SERVICES ARE PLANNING TO EXPAND THEIR SERVICES TO NEW TOWNS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES AND OUTLYING ISLANDS TO KEEP PACE WITH DEVELOPMENTS IN THESE AREAS.

THE EXPANSION PLAN INCLUDES THE FORMATION OF A CAS UNIT IN EACH OF THE NEW TOWNS AND A SMALL RESCUE UNIT ON LANTAU ISLAND.

A WARDEN UNIT HAS RECENTLY BEEN ESTABLISHED IN TUEN MUN.

ANOTHER NEW WARDEN UNIT AT SHA TIN AT THE CAS LEK YUEN HEADQUARTERS WILL COME INTO OPERATION EARLY NEXT YEAR TO STRENGTHEN THE ESTABLISHMENT IN THE NEW TERRITORIES.

THE CHIEF STAFF OFFICER (ACTING) OF THE CIVIL AID SERVICES, MR. CHAN CHUN-YING, POINTED OUT THAT UNITS HAVE ALREADY BEEN SET UP IN TSUEN WAN, TAI PO, YUEN LONG AND TUEN MUN, AND NEW UNITS WILL BE FORMED IN OTHER NT NEW TOWNS WHEN THE GOVERNMENT GIVES THE GREENLIGHT.

LANTAU, WHICH IS BECOMING MORE POPULAR FOR HIKING AND MOUNTAIN CLIMBING AT WEEKENDS, WILL BE SERVICED BY A NEW RESCUE UNIT IN FUTURE.

TO TIE IN WITH THIS EXPANSION, THE COMMAND STRUCTURE OF THE PRESENT COMBINED KOWLOON AND THE NEW TERRITORIES REGION WILL HAVE TO BE REORGANISED TO MAKE THE NEW TERRITORIES A SEPARATE REGION INDEPENDENT FROM THE KOWLOON COMMAND.

MR. CHAN POINTED OUT THAT THE CAS ESTABLISHMENT, WHICH NOW STANDS AT 2,800 HAS 11.5 PERCENT OF ITS STRENGTH BASED IN THE NEW TERRITORIES.

+MEMBERS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES LIKE THEIR COUNTERPARTS IN URBAN AREAS ARE PROVIDING USEFUL SERVICE TO THE PUBLIC IN CROWD CONTROL, FOREST FIRE PREVENTION, RESCUE WORK AND OTHER OPERATIONS AND COMMUNITY SERVICES, HE SAID.

HE ALSO NOTED THAT THERE WAS ENCOURAGING RESPONSE TO THE RECRUITMENT CAMPAIGN AT TUEN MUN IN SEPTEMBER, DURING WHICH SOME 120 APPLICATIONS WERE RECEIVED FOR THE 50 VACANCIES IN THE NEWLY FORMED CAS UNIT THERE.

NEW RECRUITS FOR NEW TERRITORIES UNITS LIKE THEIR URBAN COUNTERPARTS RECEIVE APPROXIMATELY SIX MONTHS INITIAL TRAINING DURING THEIR LEISURE TIME BEFORE ATTENDING A RECRUIT PASSING OUT PARADE.

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