XN000022-1980-11-14 — Page 14

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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14,

THE WINNERS OF DRAWING, ESSAY,

ESSAY, SLOGAN AND SPEECH COMPETITIONS WERE PRESENTED WITH THEIR PRIZES AT THE CEREMONY. THE COMPETITIONS WERE HELD LAST MONTH AS PART OF THE CAMPAIGN TO PROMOTE INTEREST

IN FIRE PREVENTION AMONG ISLANDS RESIDENTS,

ALSO PRESENT WERE THE CHAIRMAN OF ISLANDS DISTRICT FIRE PREVENTION CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE, MR CHÔNG CHU-CHOY, AND THE CHAIRMAN OF MUI WO RURAL COMMITTEE, MR TSANG LIN.

HILLFIRE FIGHTING EQUIPMENT, INCLUDING FIRE-BEATERS, WATER PUMPS, FIELD TELEPHONE AND RADIO SETS, WAS DISPLAYED BY THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT.

CHIEF FIRE OFFICER PRESENTS

PAPER AT FIRE CHIEFS CONFERENCE

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THE CHIEF FIRE OFFICER (HEADQUARTERS), MR ROBERT HOLMES, WILL LEAVE FOR NEW DELHI TOMORROW (SATURDAY) TO ATTEND THE 11TH GENERAL CONFERENCE OF INTERNATIONAL FIRE CHIEFS' ASSOCIATION OF ASIA.

THE FOUR-DAY CONFERENCE STARTING ON MONDAY WILL DISCUSS TOPICS SUCH AS THE VARIOUS ASPECTS OF FIRE PREVENTION, THE NEED FOR HIGHER TECHNICAL EDUCATION FOR THE FIRE SERVICES OF THE FUTURE, AND PARA-MEDICAL WORK AND AMBULANCE SERVICE.

DURING THE CONFERENCE, MR HOLMES WILL SUBMIT A PAPER OUTLINING THE STRENGTH OF THE HONG KONG FIRE SERVICES, ITS WORK IN THIS HIGH DENSITY TERRITORY AND ITS FUTURE NEEDS.

OF

ONE OF THE SUBJECTS IN THE PAPER DESCRIBES THE ADVANCEMENT TECHNOLOGY IN RELATION TO THE TRAINING OF FIRE FIGHTERS.

+WE HAVE CONSIDERED FOR SOME TIME NOW THE POSSIBILITY OF REDUCING THE BASIC OR INITIAL TRAINING CONCEPT IN BOTH DURATION AND CONTENT,+ MR HOLMES SAID.

+TECHNOLOGY IS BECOMING SO SOPHISTICATED THAT WE CONSIDER THAT IT IS NOT EQUITABLE TO A FIREMAN HIMSELF, OR THE PUBLIC WHOM HE SERVES, TO BE EXPECTED TO HANDLE WITH EFFICIENCY AND EASE SAY A PORTO POWER OR AIR BAG ONE MOMENT AND NEXT TURN HIS HANDS TO OPERATING SUB-SURFACE FOAM INJECTION APPARATUS WITH THE SAME EASE AND EFFICIENCY BEARING IN MIND THAT DUTY HOURS ARE GRADUALLY DECREASING.

+WE ARE NOW ACTIVELY PLANNING A REVISED TRAINING SCHEME WHICH, BRIEFLY, WILL TRAIN A PROBATIONARY OR RECRUIT FIREMAN IN THE PRINCIPLES OF FIRST ATTENDING NECESSITIES AND DELETING MUCH OF THE SUPERFLUOUS PARADE GROUND REGIME ALTHOUGH RETAINING A MODICUM.

→THE FIREMAN WILL RETURN TO THE TRAINING SCHOOL AT INTERVALS, AS AND WHEN NECESSARY, AND DICTATED BY THE NEEDS OF THE SERVICE BE FURTHER TRAINED, HE ADDED.