XN000022-1981-08-07 — Page 5

FRIDAY, AUGUST 7, 1981

NO RELAXATION OF DISCIPLINE IN THE FIRE SERVICES

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DISCIPLINE IN THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT WILL NOT BE

RELAXED, SAID THE DEPUTY CHIEF FIRE OFFICER OF THE NEW TERRITORIES FIRE COMMAND, MR S.M. ELCOCK TODAY (FRIDAY).

SPEAKING AT A PASSING OUT PARADE HELD AT THE FIRE SERVICES TRAINING SCHOOL IN PAT HEUNG, MR ELCOCK SAID THERE WAS +A TENDENCY IN THE WORLD TODAY FOR MANY PEOPLE TO QUESTION DISCIPLINE, IGNORE IT OR REBEL AGAINST IT+.

+HONG KONG IS FORTUNATE IN THIS RESPECT, BUT AGAIN THERE IS NO ROOM FOR COMPLACENCY. THE FIRE SERVICE IN PARTICULAR MUST NEVER RELAX IN THIS ASPECT, YOU MUST ADJUST YOURSELVES TO ACCEPT DISCIPLINE, AND TO PRACTISE IT,+ MR ELCOCK TOLD THE 43 NEWLY- GRADUATED FIREMEN,

+WE CAN PRIDE OURSELVES ON BEING MEMBERS OF A WELL DISCIPLINED SERVICE, HE SAID.

MR ELCOCK REMINDED THE GRADUATES THAT THEIR REAL REWARD WAS IN THE SATISFACTION OF KNOWING THAT THEIR EFFORTS, DISCIPLINE AND TEAMWORK WERE THE MAJOR FACTORS IN THE PROTECTION OF LIFE AND PROPERTY AND, NOT LEAST, THE KNOWLEDGE THAT THE CITIZENS OF HONG KONG HAVE BEEN DEEPLY GRATEFUL FOR THE HELP THE HONG KONG FIRE SERVICES HAD GIVEN.

HE SAID IN THE PAST 10 YEARS, THE FIRE SERVICES ANSWERED CALLS FROM 135 400 PEOPLE WHOSE LIFE OR PROPERTY, OR BOTH WAS ENDANGERED.

DESPITE ALL THE EFFORTS OF THE OFFICERS AND MEN WHO ANSWERED THESE CALLS FOR HELP, 478 PEOPLE DIED, 6 029 WERE INJURED, AND PROPERTY VALUED AT OVER $700 MILLION WAS DESTROYED OR DAMAGED, HE SAID.

*ON THE BRIGHTER SIDE, OVER 60 500 PEOPLE WERE EITHER RESCUED, OR HELPED TO SAFETY.

+THERE IS NO WAY TO MEASURE THE VALUE OF PROPERTY SAVED FROM DAMAGED OR DESTRUCTION AS A DIRECT RESULT OF FIRE SERVICES OPERATIONS- THIS IS BEST LEFT TO THE IMAGINATION, MR ELCOCK ADDED.

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