XN000022-1981-03-06 — Page 4

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FRIDAY, MARCH 6, 1981

+YOUR SERVICE, SIR JACK SAID, +WILL BRING YOU INTO DAILY CONTACT WITH PEOPLE WHO HAVE SUFFERED TRAGEDY AND PERSONAL LOSS AND WHO ARE UNDER ENORMOUS STRAIN.+

HE NOTED THAT FIRE FIGHTERS NEEDED ALL THEIR RESOURCES OF PATIENCE AND UNDERSTANDING TO DEAL COMPASSIONATELY WITH THEM.

THE FOLLOWING IS THE FULL TEXT OF SIR JACK'S SPEECH AT THE PASSING OUT PARADE:

+1 AM MOST HAPPY TO BE HERE THIS AFTERNOON AND TO SEE ON PARADE THOSE WHO ARE GRADUATING FROM THE TRAINING SCHOOL TODAY.

+ THANK YOUR DIRECTOR FOR INVITING ME TO ADDRESS YOU AND TO REVIEW THE PARADE. I CONGRATULATE YOU ALL ON YOUR VERY FINE TURN-OUT, YOUR SMART BEARING AND STEADINESS ON PARADE.

+YOU ARE NOW ABOUT TO START ON A NEW AND DIFFERENT LIFE IN WHICH YOU WILL BE CALLED UPON TO PUT INTO PRACTICE THE SKILLS AND TECHNIQUES WHICH YOU HAVE BEEN TAUGHT HERE - I WISH YOU EVERY SUCCESS.

+THE CAREER YOU HAVE CHOSEN REQUIRES A TOTAL COMMITMENT REMEMBER ING THAT YOUR DUTY TO THE PUBLIC MUST ALWAYS COME FIRST EVEN WHEN THAT DUTY LEADS TO DANGER OR INCONVENIENCE TO YOURSELVES. YOURS IS NOT A '9 TO 5' PROFESSION, WITH THE COMFORTS AND SECURITIES THAT THAT MIGHT SEEM TO IMPLY. YOURS IS A PROFESSION WHICH AFFORDS ITS OWN ESPECIAL COMPENSATIONS AND REWARDS THROUGH THE HIGHLY VALUABLE SERVICE IT PROVIDES TO PEOPLE IN NEED AND TO THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE. THE SATISFACTION OF SAVING LIFE IS THE REWARD OF VERY FEW BUT YOU IN THE FIRE AND AMBULANCE SERVICE WILL, AS YOU KNOW, EXPERIENCE IT FREQUENTLY.

+YOUR CHOSEN CAREER WILL MAKE MANY DEMANDS ON YOU, BOTH THROUGH ITS VERY HIGH STANDARDS AND NECESSARILY STRICT DISCIPLINE. BUT IT IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT IT IS THESE SAME HIGH STANDARDS OF DISCIPLINE AND TRAINING WHICH SAVE THE LIVES OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC AS WELL AS THE LIVES OF FIREMEN AND AMBULANCEMEN. YOUR SERVICE WILL BRING YOU INTO DAILY CONTACT WITH PEOPLE WHO HAVE SUFFERED TRAGEDY AND PERSONAL LOSS AND WHO ARE UNDER ENORMOUS STRAIN. YOU WILL AT ALL TIMES NEED ALL YOUR RESOURCES OF PATIENCE AND UNDERSTANDING TO DEAL WITH THEM COMPASSIONATELY.

+AS YOU BECOME PART OF A FIRE FIGHTING AND EMERGENCY RESCUE TEAM, LIVING AND WORKING TOGETHER, YOU WILL EXPERIENCE A UNIQUE SENSE OF COMRADESHIP A COMRADESHIP WHICH YOU HAVE ALREADY STARTED TO DEVELOP HERE IN YOUR TRAINING - WHICH IS BASED ON MUTUAL TRUST AND RESPECT, AND WHOSE VALUE YOU WILL COME TO APPRECIATE MORE AND MOKE. THIS COMRADESHIP IS ONE OF THE MOST SATISFYING ASPECTS OF MEMBERSHIP OF A SERVICE SUCH AS YOURS. YOU WILL FIND THAT IT IS STRENGTHENED AND REINFORCED THROUGH THE TEAMWORK WHICH IS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF ALL EMERGENCY OPERATIONS.

+I SHOULD LIKE TO CONGRATULATE EACH ONE OF YOU ON YOUR SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF A VERY RIGOROUS TRAINING COURSE AND UPON BECOMING ACTIVE MEMBERS OF HONG KONG'S FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT.

+MR DIRECTOR