XN000022-1979-02-18 — Page 7

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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1979

MORE JUMBO LADDERS FOR FIRE SERVICES

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THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT'S FIRE-FIGHTING AND RESCUE CAPABILITIES WILL BE FURTHER IMPROVED WHEN THREE 50-METRE (164-FT) TURNTABLE LADDERS COME INTO OPERATION ON MARCH 1.

THE + JUMBO+ LADDERS, ORDERED FROM WEST GERMANY AT A TOTAL COST OF $3.9 MILLION, ARE AMONG THE TALLEST IN USE IN THE WORLD.

EACH LADDER CAN ROTATE A FULL CIRCLE. A LIFT WHICH CAN BE FITTED TO THE LADDER CAN RAISE THREE FIREMEN AT ONE TIME, IT CAN ALSO BE OPERATED BY REMOTE CONTROL ENABLING THE OPERATOR TO CARRY OUT MOVEMENTS FROM A DIFFERENT LOCATION.

THE LADDER, MOUNTED ON ITS OWN VEHICULAR CHASSIS WITH AN AIR-COOLED DIESEL ENGINE, WILL ENABLE FIREMEN TO REACH THE 15TH FLOOR OF A BUILDING IN ANY FIRE-FIGHTING OR RESCUE OPERATION.

AT PRESENT, THE LONGEST LADDER IN SERVICE IS 37-ME TRE AND CAN REACH UP TO THE 11TH-12TH FLOOR OF A BUILDING,

+HOWEVER, THE LADDERS WILL NOT BE USED FOR NORMAL RESPONSES BUT ONLY IN SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES ON REQUEST FROM A FIRE OFFICER WHO HAS ACCESSED THE SITUATION AS WARRANTING THE USE OF THE LADDER, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT SAID TODAY (SUNDAY).

HE SAID THE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE OPERATOR ON THE GROUND AND THE FIREMEN AT THE TOP OF THE LADDER HAS BEEN FACILITATED BY AN INTER-COMMUNICATION SYSTEM. THROUGH THIS SYSTEM, THE MEN AT THE TOP CAN CONSTANTLY REPORT THEIR OBSERVATIONS DOWN TO THE CONTROL POSITION.

THE SPOKESMAN STRESSED THAT BECAUSE OF THE SIZE OF THE LADDERS WHICH WERE ACTUATED BY ELECTRONIC AND HYDRAULIC MEANS, AN EXTENSIVE AND THOROUGH TRAINING PROGRAMME HAD TO BE ARRANGED FOR FIREMEN TO ENSURE THAT THE MACHINES WERE ALWAYS OPERATED BY FULLY TRAINED MEN.

+AS A RESULT, THE CREWS HAD UNDERGONE A VERY DIFFICULT AND TIME-CONSUMING TRAINING COURSE,+ HE ADDED.

ADDITIONALLY. THE SPOKESMAN CONTINUED. THE LADDERS WERE MANUFACTURED TO GENERAL EUROPEAN STANDARDS AND AFTER DELIVERY, HAD TO BE TESTED AND OPERATED IN HONG KONG'S DENSE

ENVIRONMENT.

FOR EXAMPLE, THE HIGH-RISE BUILDINGS HERE, MAGNIFIED THE SPEEDS AND EFFECTS OF WIND AND MODIFICATIONS TO COPE WITH THIS SAFELY HAD TO BE DESIGNED AND FITTED. SOME MODIFICATIONS WERE ALSO MADE TO THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL SYSTEMS.

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