XN000022-1981-10-05 — Page 7

MONDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1981

- 6-

COUNTRY PARKS OFFICERS ON FIRE ALERT

****

STAFF MEMBERS OF THE COUNTRY PARKS AND CONSERVATION DIVISION OF THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT HAVE STEPPED UP VIGILANCE AGAINST OUTBREAKS OF FIRES IN THE COUNTRYSIDE.

FOR THE PAST WEEK STAFF MEMBERS ENGAGED IN FIRE DUTIES HAVE BEEN BUSY PREPARING THEMSELVES FOR SUCH AN OPERATION IN CASE OF FIRE.

THE FIRE FIGHTERS HAVE BEEN TRAINING FOR DEPLOYMENT BY HELICOPTER TO THE SCENE OF A FIRE WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF THE ROYAL HONG KONG AUXILIARY AIR FORCE.

LEADERS OF FIRE TEAMS, EQUIPPED WITH FIRE BEATERS AND

4.5-LITRE WATER BUCKETS, FLEW IN THE HELICOPTER ON PRACTICE FLIGHTS OVER THE COUNTRYSIDE AND LEARNED ABOUT THE WAYS OF EMBARKING AND DISEMBARK ING FROM A HELICOPTER WHEN FIGHTING FIRES.

SOME 400 STAFF MEMBERS WILL BE ON FULL ALERT FOR FIRE IN THE COUNTRYSIDE DURING THIS DRY SEASON.

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT APPEALED TO THE PUBLIC TO TAKE EVERY PRECAUTION AGAINST FIRES WHILE VISITING THE COUNTRYSIDE, ESPECIALLY DURING THE CHUNG YEUNG FESTIVAL.

+DON'T LEAVE ANY FIRE UNATTENDED AND ALWAYS LOOK FOR A METAL CONTAINER TO PUT BURNING JOSS-PAPERS AND JOSS-STICKS,+ HE SAID.

THOUSANDS OF METAL CONTAINERS HAVE BEEN PLACED BY THE DEPARTMENT IN THE VARIOUS GRAVE SITES SCATTERED THROUGHOUT THE NEW TERRITORIES.

BESIDES THE ROYAL HONG KONG AUXILIARY AIR FORCE, THE ROYAL AIR FORCE WOULD ALSO ASSIST IN FIRE FIGHTING BY MAKING AVAILABLE THE SERVICE OF ITS HELICOPTERS WHEN NECESSARY.

17