XN000022-1981-07-09 — Page 2

THURSDAY, JULY 9, 1981

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RAPID GROWTH POSES UNIQUE FIRE-FIGHTING PROBLEMS

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THE RAPID PHYSICAL CHANGES IN HONG KONG HAVE BROUGHT MANY PROBLEMS IN FIRE SUPPRESSION TACTICS AND EQUIPMENT AS WELL AS FIRE PROTECTION PRACTICE, THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF FIRE SERVICES, MR MAURICE LANE, SAID TODAY.

SPEAKING AT A PASSING OUT PARADE OF 18 OFFICER AND 82 FIREMAN GRADUATES AT THE FIRE SERVICES TRAINING SCHOOL, MR LANE SAID HONG KONG HAD GROWN FROM A RELATIVELY PEACEFUL LOW-RISE, TWIN CITIES AND RURAL HINTERLAND TO A HIGH-RISE, MULTI-CITIED TERRITORY.+

+ IN MANY AREAS, THERE HAVE BEEN NO PRECEDENTS TO FOLLOW SINCE THE SITUATIONS WE HAVE HAD TO MEET HAVE NOT EXISTED ELSEWHERE AND THEREFORE WE HAVE HAD TO RELY UPON OUR OWN PROFESSIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE TO DEVISE AND TEST NEW THEORIES AND PRACTICES,+ HE SAID.

+OUR SUCCESS MAY I FEEL BE MEASURED BY OUR FAVOURABLE LIFE AND PROPERTY LOSSES COMPARED WITH THE REST OF THE WORLD, AND THE FACT THAT FIREMEN FROM MANY CITIES VISIT US TO GAIN KNOWLEDGE,+ HE SAID.

MR LANE, WHO HAS BEEN IN THE FIRE SERVICES FOR 31 YEARS, 25 OF THEM IN HONG KONG, TOLD THE GRADUATES THAT THE PASSING OUT PARADE WAS HIS LAST AS HE WOULD BE RETIRING IN A FEW WEEKS' TIME.

ALSO PRESENT AT THE PARADE WAS THE COMMANDANT OF MACAU FIRE BRIGADE, MR R.F. DE ASSIS.

MR LANE TOLD THE GRADUATES THAT THEY HAD WEATHERED A VERY TOUGH AND DEMANDING COURSE OF INSTRUCTION AND PRACTICE, AND AFTER THIS THEY WOULD BE SENT TO VARIOUS UNITS FOR EXPERIENCE.

+THIS WILL TAKE TIME AND CAN ONLY BE ACHIEVED BY ATTENDING THE MANY DIFFERING KINDS OF INCIDENT TO WHICH WE ARE CALLED, TO PERSONS IN DANGER AND DISTRESS AND TO PROPERTY AT RISK, HE SAID.

+1 WOULD ASK YOU TO TRY TO LEARN FROM EACH INCIDENT- THEY WILL ALL BE DIFFERENT, FOR NOT ONLY WILL THIS MAINTAIN YOUR PROFESSIONAL INTEREST BUT ALSO MAINTAIN A STEADY INPUT TO YOUR 'COMPUTER' MEMORY BANK TO AID YOU IN DEALING EFFICIENTLY WITH PROBLEMS ALWAYS STILL TO COME.

+ IF YOU ALL STAY THE HARD COURSE OF A FIREMAN'S LIFE, YOUR CAREER WILL SPAN AT LEAST ANOTHER 25 YEARS AND INTO THE 21ST CENTURY, HE SAID.

HE ADVISED THE GRADUATES THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO KEEP THE IR MINDS, METHODS AND SYSTEMS FLEXIBLE TO DEAL WITH CHANGES AND CHALLENGES OF THE FUTURE.

+GRADUAT ING OFFICERS HAVE NOW TO GO THROUGH A FURTHER LONG PERIOD OF DIRECTED ON-THE-JOB TRAINING, AND GRADUATING FIREMEN WILL BE THE FIRST TO GO TO UNITS UNDER THE REVISED MODULAR TRAINING SYSTEMS JUST COMING IN FORCE,+ MR LANE SAID.

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