XN000022-1981-01-18 — Page 2

SUNDAY, JANUARY 18, 1981

EXPANSION OF AMBULANCE FLEET

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THE FIRE SERVICES WILL SPEND SOME $8.5 MILLION IN THE NEXT THREE MONTHS TO PURCHASE 47 NEW AMBULANCES AND TO INSTALL AN ADVANCED UHF RADIO SYSTEM ON THE ENTIRE FLEET,

+THE EXPANSION OF THE FLEET AND THE NEW ENCODER' RADIO SYSTEM WILL ENABLE US TO DEAL MORE EFFECTIVELY WITH ACCIDENTS IN TERMS OF AVAILABILITY AND TIME OF RESPONSE, THE ASSISTANT CHIEF AMBULANCE OFFICER, MR ANTHONY MILFORD, SAID TODAY.

HE SAID 24 OF THE NEW AMBULANCES WOULD BOOST THE FLEET TO 159 VEHICLES. THE OTHER 23 AMBULANCES ON ORDER WOULD REPLACE VEHICLES WHICH HAD BEEN IN SERVICE FOR A LONG TIME.

MR MILFORD SAID THE NEW 'ENCODER' WOULD BE A SEMI-AUTOMATIC VEHICLE STATUS INDICATOR WHICH WOULD PROVIDE THE COMPUTER AT THE DEPARTMENT'S COMMUNICATION CENTRE WITH VALUABLE DATA SUCH AS THE AVAILABILITY OR READINESS OF AN AMBULANCE, AND, IF ON THE ROAD, ITS LOCATION.

*THIS WILL ENABLE FAST AND ACCURATE DEPLOYMENT OF AN AMBULANCE TO THE SCENE OF REQUEST, HE ADDED.

THE ENCODER HAS A SELECTIVE RADIO CODE FOR EACH AMBULANCE TO FACILITATE EXCLUSIVE CONVERSATION WITH THE CENTRE WITHOUT INTERFERENCE.

THE CENTRE WILL BE NOTIFIED OF AN ACCIDENT INVOLVING AN AMBULANCE, IF AN EMERGENCY SIGNAL BUTTON IS PRESSED.

INSTALLATION WORK IS EXPECTED TO FINISH IN APRIL WHEN THE NEW AMBULANCES ARRIVE.

MEANWHILE THE AMBULANCE COMMAND, WITH A STAFF OF 1 333, IS CONDUCTING A LARGE SCALE RECRUITMENT DRIVE THIS MONTH TO COPE WITH ITS EXPANSION PROGRAMME.

UP TO LAST THURSDAY, THE COMMAND RECEIVED APPLICATIONS FROM 602 PEOPLE. OF THESE, 399 HAVE PASSED THE PHYSICAL TEST.

THE RECRUITMENT EXERCISE WILL END ON JANUARY 31. POTENTIAL YOUNG MEN WHO ARE PREPARED TO TAKE UP A MEANINGFUL AND CHALLENGING CAREER SHOULD APPLY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THEY MUST BE UNDER 30 YEARS OF AGE AND HAVE RECEIVED AT LEAST SIX YEARS PRIMARY EDUCATION. FURTHER INFORMATION ON THE RECRUITMENT DRIVE MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE HARBOUR ROAD FIRE STATION IN WAN CHAI, OR THE TSIM SHA TSUI FIRE STATION IN CANTON ROAD DURING OFFICE HOURS.

THE AMBULANCE COMMAND RESPONDED TO ABOUT 221 000 CALLS IN 1980,

REPRESENTING AN INCREASE OF 22 000 CALLS, OR 10 PER CENT, COMPARED WITH THE PREVIOUS YEAR.

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