XN000022-1979-12-07 — Page 3

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1979

NEW FIRE BOAT TO BE CONSTRUCTED

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TENDERS ARE BEING INVITED FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A 34-METRE FIRE BOAT TO PROVIDE QUICK AND EFFECTIVE RESPONSE TO MARINE AND COASTAL INCIDENTS IN TSUEN WAN, KWAI CHUNG AND TSING YI.

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE FIRE SERVICES SAID TODAY (FRIDAY) THE NEW FIRE BOAT WITH A SPEED OF 13 KNOTS CAN REACH THE FURTHEREST POINT IN THE AREA IN ABOUT 10 MINUTES.

IT WILL BE EQUIPPED WITH AN ELEVATED PLATFORM WITH A WORKING HEIGHT OF 24 METRES FROM SEA LEVEL TO THE HIGHEST POINT OF THE SNORKELS AT FULL OPERATION.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID THE HYDRAULIC PLATFORM WILL PROVIDE SUFFICIENT HEIGHT FROM WHICH WATER AND FOAM JETS CAN BE DIRECTED AT THE FIRE WITH THE NECESSARY EFFECTIVE STRIKING POWER. PARTICULARLY IN COMBATTING FIRES ON LARGE CONTAINER SHIPS.

THE BOAT WILL HAVE THREE SETS OF TWO-STAGE CENTRIFUGAL PUMPS, TWO OF WHICH ARE TO BE DRIVEN BY THE VESSEL'S MAIN ENGINES AND THE OTHER BY AN INDEPENDENT DIESEL ENGINE. THIS WILL PERMIT PUMPING AND MANOEUVRING TO BE CARRIED OUT SIMULTANEOUSLY.

THE BOAT WILL HAVE A PUMPING CAPACITY OF 8 000 GALLONS PER MINUTE AND FOAM COMPOUND CAPACITY OF NO LESS THAN 17 000 LITRES.

+AN ADDITIONAL FIRE BOAT IS NEEDED TO SUPPLEMENT THE EXISTING FLEET TO COPE WITH THE INCREASING MARINE AND LAND BASED INDUSTRIAL RISKS AT TSING YI, KWAI CHUNG AND TSUEN WAN, SAID THE SPOKESMAN.

+CONTAINER VESSELS VISITING HONG KONG ARE AMONGST THE LARGEST BUILT AND ABOUT 30 PER CENT OF A TOTAL OF 900 SHIPS CALLING AT THE PORT EVERY MONTH USED THE KWAI CHUNG CONTAINER TERMINAL. +

+IT IS NECESSARY FOR THE DEPARTMENT TO STRENGTHEN ITS FIRE FIGHTING CAPABILITY IN THE AREA,+ HE ADDED.

THE NEW FIRE BOAT WILL BE MANNED BY 12 FIRE SERVICES PERSONNEL. CONSTRUCTION OF THE BOAT IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN IN APRIL NEXT YEAR.

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