XN000022-1981-10-27 — Page 2

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 1981

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FIRE SERVICE INSTALLATIONS MAINTENANCE ESSENTIAL

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OWNERS OF DOMESTIC, COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS WERE TODAY (TUESDAY) WARNED THAT THE PENALTY FOR FAILURE TO MAINTAIN PROPERLY FIRE SERVICE INSTALLATIONS AND EQUIPMENT IN THEIR BUILDINGS AT ALL TIMES HAD BEEN INCREASED BY 150 PER CENT FROM $2 000 TO $5 000.

THE WARNING WAS GIVEN BY THE DEPUTY CHIEF FIRE OFFICER OF THE FIRE PROTECTION BUREAU, MR LAM LOK-BUN, AT TODAY'S PRESS CONFERENCE WHEN HE ANNOUNCED THE START OF THIS YEAR'S FIRE PREVENTION CAMPAIGN.

ALSO PRESENT AT THE PRESS CONFERENCE WERE THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES, MR JOHN WHOLEY, AND THE CHIEF FACTORY INSPECTOR OF THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT, MR CHAN SHIU-LAP.

MR LAM SAID THAT THE LAW REQUIRED OWNERS OF BUILDINGS TO KEEP FIRE SERVICE INSTALLATIONS AND EQUIPMENT IN EFFICIENT WORKING ORDER AT ALL TIMES AND TO HAVE THEM INSPECTED BY A REGISTERED CONTRACTOR AT LEAST ONCE IN EVERY 12 MONTHS. HOWEVER, THE FIRE SERVICE INSTALLATIONS AND EQUIPMENT IN MOST BUILDINGS WERE NOT PROPERLY MAINTAINED.

+IN AN ATTEMPT TO CORRECT THE SITUATION. HE SAID. +THE MAXIMUM FINE FOR PROVEN OFFENCES WAS RECENTLY INCREASED TO THE MORE REALISTIC LEVEL OF $5 000. THIS WILL HOPEFULLY SERVE AS A MORE EFFECTIVE DETERRENT AGAINST NEGLIGENCE.+

SIMILARLY, THE OFFENCE OF SIGNING OR ISSUING A FALSE OR MISLEADING CERTIFICATE IN RESPECT OF THE MAINTENANCE OF SUCH EQUIPMENT WAS SUBJECT TO THE SAME FINE ON CONVICTION.

TO INDICATE THE EXTENT OF THE FIRE PROBLEM IN HONG KONG, MR LAM SAID THAT A TOTAL OF 10 051 FIRES WERE REPORTED TO THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT IN THE 12-MONTH PERIOD ENDING AUGUST THIS YEAR

A SLIGHT DECREASE AS COMPARED WITH THE PREVIOUS YEAR'S FIGURE OF 10 721.

+THERE WERE, UNFORTUNATELY, MORE INJURIES AND FATALITIES,+ HE SAID. HE POINTED OUT THAT APART FROM HEAVY MONETARY LOSSES, THESE FIRES RESULTED IN 48 DEATHS AND 786 INJURIES.

HE SAID THAT MANY FIRES WERE CAUSED BY CARELESSNESS.

URGING THE PUBLIC TO BE CONSTANTLY ON GUARD AGAINST POTENTIAL FIRE RISKS, HE SAID: +FIRE PREVENTION IS NOT A MATTER OF EXPERTISE-

IT IS THE SIMPLE APPLICATION OF COMMONSENSE AND CARE.

ON COUNTRYSIDE FIRE, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES, MR JOHN WHOLEY, SAID THAT OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS, THERE HAD BEEN, ON AVERAGE, MORE THAN 500 HILL FIRES IN HONG KONG EVERY YEAR.

/MANY PEOPLE