XN000022-1984-02-20 — Page 7

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1984

IS DONE BY +THE METHOD, WIDELY KNOWN AS 'WATER BOMBING", SIMPLY RELEASING A CASCADE OF WATER ONTO THE FIRE LINES FROM AN UNDERSLUNG BUCKET FILLED UP WITH WATER IN A NEARBY RESERVOIR.

+A BUCKET CAN HOLD UP TO 220 GALLONS OF WATER AND THE METHOD HAS PROVED VERY EFFECTIVE TO STOP FIRES FROM SPREADING, HE ADDED. ALTHOUGH HILL FIRE AND RESCUE CALLOUTS ROSE SHARPLY LAST YEAR CASUALTY AND MEDICAL EVACUATIONS STILL ACCOUNTED FOR THE BIGGEST SHARE OF EMERGENCY FLIGHTS.

LAST YEAR, THE FORCE HANDLED 256 SUCH CALLS, 14 PER CENT MORE THAN IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR. HEART PROBLEMS AND TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS TOPPED THE LIST REQUIRING EVACUATION, FOLLOWED BY DIFFICULT CHILDBIRTH, INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS, SNAKE BITES, HEAT STROKE AND EXHAUSTION.

THE RHKAAF ALSO PLAYS AN ESSENTIAL, COMPLEMENTARY ROLE TO THE AMBULANCE SERVICE. WITHOUT ITS HELP, MANY OF THE CASUALTIES IN THE OUTLYING ISLANDS AND IN THE REMOTE PARTS OF THE NEW TERRITORIES MIGHT NOT HAVE SURVIVED.

THE FORCE LAST YEAR EVEN EXPANDED ITS SERVICE TO COVER EMERGENCY EVACUATIONS IN THE CHAI WAN AND SHAU KEI WAN DISTRICTS IN ORDER TO BEAT TRAFFIC CONGESTION, LIFTING 12 SUCH CASUALTIES.

THE EMERGENCY FLIGHTS FORM A PART OF THE FORCE'S DAILY ROUTINE, WHICH INCLUDES PROVIDING AIR SERVICES FOR GOVERNMENT WORK AND VISITING VIPS.

+LOOKING AHEAD, E ARE EXPECTING FURTHER GROWTH IN THE DEMAND FOR EMERGENCY SERVICE,+ SQD LDR SHAWCROSS SAID.

+ BUT EVEN WITH THE INCREASED DEMAND FOR EMERGENCY FLIGHTS, WE EXPECT TO BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN THE SAME LEVEL OF SERVICE AND TO HANDLE THE WORKLOAD IN AN EQUALLY SATISFACTORY MANNER, + HE ADDED.

TUEN MUN TO HAVE PRIMARY SCHOOL 21

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A START WILL BE MADE LATER THIS MONTH ON BUILDING TUEN MUN'S TWENTY-FIRST PRIMARY SCHOOL.

A PILING CONTRACT VALUED AT $647 000 HAS BEEN AWARDED BY THE ARCHITECTURAL OFFICE OF THE BUILDING DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.

IT WILL TAKE THREE MONTHS TO COMPLETE, FOLLOWING WHICH WORK ON BUILDING THE SUPERSTRUCTURE WILL BEGIN UNDER A SEPARATE CONTRACT.

THE SCHOOL IS EXPECTED TO BE READY BEFORE SEPTEMBER NEXT YEAR.

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