XN000022-1979-11-02 — Page 2

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 1979

FIRE PREVENTION CAMPAIGN STARTS

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THE FIRE SERVICES DEALT WITH A TOTAL OF 10 026 FIRE CALLS IN THE FIRST 10 MONTHS OF THE YEAR -- 1 254 MORE THAN IN THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR.

THE DEPUTY CHIEF FIRE OFFICER OF THE FIRE PREVENTION BUREAU, MR LAM LOK-BUN, SAID THIS TODAY (FRIDAY) AT A NEWS CONFERENCE TO LAUNCH THIS YEAR'S FIRE PREVENTION CAMPAIGN.

MR LAM SAID THE FIRE PREVENTION CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE, A WORKING BODY WITH REPRESENTATIVES FROM SEVERAL GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS, HAD CHOSEN THIS TIME OF THE YEAR TO MOUNT A PUBLICITY DRIVE BECAUSE OF THE CURRENT FIRE DANGER POSITION CAUSED BY CONTINUING LOW HUMIDITY.

HE SAID THAT OF THE 10 000 FIRE CALLS, ABOUT 50 PER CENT WERE CAUSED BY CARELESS HANDLING OR DISPOSAL OF SMOKING MATERIALS AND ELECTRICAL FAULTS.

THE DIRECT FIRE LOSSES REPORTED BY LOCAL INSURANCE COMPANIES AMOUNTED TO $113.1 MILLION IN 1978, HE ADDED. THIS DID NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE EXTREMELY LARGE FIRE LOSSES ON UNINSURED PREMISES AND GOODS.

SPEAKING ON POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARDS, MR LAM SAID: +HONG KONG FACES A UNIQUE PROBLEM OWING TO ITS CROWDED ENVIRONMENT, VARIOUS INDUSTRIES OF TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES AND THE GENERAL APATHETIC ATTITUDE TOWARDS FIRE PREVENTION AND FIRE PROTECTION.+

DURING THE DRY SEASON, HE SAID, MANY SUBSTANCES EASILY CATCH FIRE WHICH SPREADS RAPIDLY.

+ IT IS THEREFORE ESSENTIAL THAT EXTRA PRECAUTIONS AGAINST FIRE RISKS SHOULD BE TAKEN AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC BE MADE AWARE OF THE COMMON CAUSES OF FIRES AND HOW TO PREVENT THEM,+ MR LAM STRESSED.

THE TOPICS IN THIS YEAR'S CAMPAIGN WILL FOCUS ON HOW TO PREVENT FIRES OF COMMON CAUSES AND AS IN PREVIOUS YEARS, PUBLICITY MATERIAL WILL FOLLOW THE FORMS OF SHORT FILMS, POSTERS, STICKERS, LEAFLETS AND PAMPHLETS.

ONE OF THE SPECIAL FEATURES OF THE CAMPAIGN IS THE FORMATION OF FIRE WATCH TEAMS IN VILLAGES AND SQUATTER AREAS. THE SCHEME WAS LAUNCHED LAST YEAR AND THE NUMBER OF TEAMS HAS NOW BEEN

INCREASED TO 44.

THE IR PRIMARY FUNCTIONS ARE TWOFOLD TO AROUSE PUBLIC AWARENESS OF THE DANGER OF FIRE AND TO ACT AS +FIRST-AIDERS+ TO TACKLE A FIRE IN ITS EARLY STAGES BEFORE THE ARRIVAL OF FIREMEN.

OTHER ACTIVITIES INCLUDE VISITS TO FIRE STATIONS, SCHOOL CHILDREN'S QUIZ COMPETITIONS AND FIRE SAFETY HINTS FOR FACTORY OPERATORS.

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