XN000022-1982-10-08 — Page 10

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1982

MORE VOLUNTEERS JOIN IN FIGHT AGAINST FIRE

*****

FORTY-EIGHT MORE TEAMS OF VOLUNTEERS FROM SQUATTER AREAS AND NEW TERRITORIES VILLAGES HAVE TODAY (FRIDAY) JOINED IN THE ON-GOING FIGHT AGAINST FIRE.

THIS BROUGHT TO 164 THE TOTAL NUMBER OF VOLUNTARY FIRE PATROLS FORMED UNDER THE FIRE WATCH SCHEME IMPLEMENTED BY THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT AND THE CITY AND NEW TERRITORIES ADMINISTRATION IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE GOVERNMENT INFORMATION SERVICES.

THE NEW TEAMS WERE INAUGURATED BY THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF FIRE SERVICES, MR R. HOLMES, AT A CEREMONY HELD AT THE SHEUNG WAN DIVISIONAL FIRE STATION THIS AFTERNOON.

SPEAKING AT THE CEREMONY, MR HOLMES STRESSED THE NEED FOR THIS PARTICULAR FORM OF COMMUNITY SUPPORT IN PREVENTING FIRE.

HE POINTED OUT THAT IT WOULD BE IMPRACTICABLE TO SET UP PERMANENT FIRE CREWS TRAINED TO PROFESSIONAL STATUS IN THE MORE THAN 400 SQUATTER AREAS THAT HOUSE ONE-TENTH OF HONG KONG'S POPULATION.

+ I AM SURE EVERYBODY HERE TODAY HAS OBSERVED AND PERHAPS EXPERIENCED PERSONAL LOSS THROUGH FIRE AND INDEED THE VERY FORMATION OF THESE FIRE WATCH TEAMS IS TO REDUCE THESE LOSSES,+ HE SAID.

MR HOLMES NOTED THAT THE CONCEPT OF FIRE WATCH TEAMS HAD BEEN ENDORSED BY ALMOST ALL SQUATTER AREA RESIDENTS.

SINCE THE SCHEME WAS LAUNCHED IN 1979, 69 SUCH TEAMS HAVE BEEN FORMED IN THE SQUATTER AREAS OF HONG KONG AND KOWLOON, AND 47 IN THE NEW TERRITORIES VILLAGES. THE 48 NEW PATROLS FORMED THIS YEAR MAKE UP THE LARGEST GROUP SO FAR.

MR HOLMES FELT THAT THE BASIC TRAINING FOR FIRE WATCH TEAM MEMBERS PROVIDED BY THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT WAS ADEQUATE +TO REDUCE FIRE DAMAGE AND PREVENT THE SPREAD OF FIRE UNTIL THE PROFESSIONALS ARRIVE.

HOWEVER, HE REITERATED THE IMPORTANCE OF NOTIFYING THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT IN CASE OF FIRE.

MR HOLMES SAID IT WAS NECESSARY TO MAKE SURE ALWAYS THAT AT LEAST ONE PERSON CALLED THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT, AS ON MANY OCCASIONS PEOPLE THOUGHT THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT HAD BEEN INFORMED, AND THE PROFESSIONALS WERE THEN BLAMED UNNECESSARILY FOR ARRIVING LATE.

AT THE CEREMONY, THE NEW TEAMS WERE PRESENTED WITH SOUVENIRS BY MR HOLMES; AND BY MR TONY MILLER, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF HOUSINGS MR KEITH KWOK AND MR W.K. LAM, BOTH PRINCIPAL ASSISTANT SECRETARIES OF CITY AND NEW TERRITORIES ADMINISTRATION; AND MR ARTHUR HACKER, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF INFORMATION SERVICES.

Page 10Page 11