XN000022-1982-02-12 — Page 6

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1982

WARNING AGAINST PARKING IN FRONT OF FIRE HYDRANTS

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A SPOKESMAN FOR THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT TODAY (FRIDAY) WARNED THAT VEHICLES ILLEGALLY PARKED IN FRONT OF FIRE HYDRANTS COULD ENDANGER MANY LIVES IF A FIRE OCCURRED.

THE WARNING WAS ISSUED AS THE RESULT OF A NO. 4 ALARM FIRE IN LAM TIN EARLY THIS YEAR WHEN FIRE FIGHTING OPERATIONS WERE DELAYED BECAUSE THE NEAREST FIRE HYDRANT WAS OBSTRUCTED BY PARKED VEHICLES.

WHEN THE FIREMEN ARRIVED, THEY FOUND TWO CARS AND A LORRY PARKED IN FRONT OF THE FIRE HYDRANT, BLOCKING IT COMPLETELY.

FURTHERMORE, THE LORRY, WHICH WAS PARKED CLOSE TO THE TWO CARS, WAS FITTED WITH A BRAKE LOCK AND CONSEQUENTLY, NONE OF THE VEHICLES COULD BE REMOVED, HE SAID.

THE FIREMEN WERE FORCED TO USE WATER FROM A HYDRANT OVER 200 METRES AWAY.

THE LOSS OF TIME CONTRIBUTED TO THE SPREAD OF THE FIRE, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT WAS VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THIS PROBLEM WHICH HAS BECOME QUITE COMMON IN THE TERRITORY, HE SAID.

DRIVERS SHOULD NOT PARK THEIR CARS ANYWHERE NEAR A FIRE HYDRANT, HE WARNED.

+WE SHOULD HAVE ACCESS TO A FIRE HYDRANT WITHOUT HINDRANCE AT ANY TIME, SO THAT WE CAN PUT OUT FIRES AS SPEEDILY AS POSSIBLE. TWO SECONDS WORTH OF CONSIDERATION COULD SAVE LIVES,+ HE SAID.

THE GOVERNMENT IS CONSIDERING THE INTRODUCTION OF A ROAD MARKING IN THE VICINITY OF FIRE HYDRANTS TO CAUTION DRIVERS NOT TO PARK THERE.

ANY VEHICLE ILLEGALLY PARKED IN FRONT OF A FIRE HYDRANT IS LIKELY TO BE TOWED AWAY BY THE POLICE WITHOUT PRIOR NOTICE TO ITS OWNER.

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