XN000022-1984-03-23 — Page 15

FRIDAY, MARCH 23, 1984

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FIRE SERVICES TO HAVE OWN BUILDING

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CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW FIRE SERVICES HEADQUARTERS AT TSIM SHA TSUI EAST IS A MILESTONE IN THE HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE HONG KONG FIRE SERVICES, THE RETIRING DIRECTOR OF FIRE SERVICES, MR F.M. WATSON SAID TODAY (FRIDAY).

SPEAKING AT THE FOUNDATION STONE-LAYING CEREMONY FOR THE $133 MILL FON BUILDING COMPLEX WHICH WILL ALSO INCLUDE A SUB-DIVISIONAL FIRE STATION, MR WATSON SAID THAT THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT NEVER HAD ITS OWN HEADQUARTERS BUILDING.

HE SAID THAT WHEN HE JOINED THE HONG KONG FIRE BRIGADE IN 1955,

BUT THE THE HEADQUARTERS WERE HOUSED IN THE FIRE BRIGADE BUILDING. BRIGADE NEVER OCCUPIED ALL OF IT.

AND WHEN THE HEADQUARTERS MOVED TO THE PRESENT BUILDING IN JAVA ROAD, NORTH POINT, THE DEPARTMENT HAD ALSO TO SHARE WITH MANY OTHER DEPARTMENTS FOR THE LAST 17 YEARS.

+ IT IS THEREFORE WITH GREAT PLEASURE THAT I AM ABLE TO OFFICIATE AT THIS STONE-LAYING CEREMONY OF OUR NEW AND OWN HEADQUARTERS BEFORE MY RETIREMENT,+ MR WATSON SAID.

+AFTER MANY YEARS OF DISCUSSIONS AND PLANNING THE HONG KONG FIRE SERVICES IS HAVING A MODERN NEW BUILDING AS ITS HEADQUARTERS, BEFITTING ITS STATUS AS THE FOURTH LARGEST CITY FIRE SERVICES IN THE WORLD AFTER TOKYO, NEW YORK AND LONDON, MR WATSON SAID.

THE 14-STOREY HIGH HEADQUARTERS IS BEING BUILT AT THE JUNCTION OF HONG CHONG AND SCIENCE MUSEUM ROADS. WHEN COMPLETED IN EARLY 1986, THE BUILDING WILL ALSO SERVE AS THE HEADQUARTERS FOR THE FIRE PROTECTION BUREAU, THE KOWLOON REGIONAL OFFICE OF THE BUREAU, AMBULANCE COMMAND KOWLOON HEADQUARTERS, AND THE FIRE SERVICES COMMUNICATION CENTRE.

ALSO PRESENT AT THE CEREMONY WAS THE DIRECTOR OF BUILDING DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, MR CHOW CHAM-SAN.

ABERDEEN SITE TO BE OFFERED AGAIN ****

A SITE WHICH WAS WITHDRAWN FROM AUCTION ON FEBRUARY 28 DUE TO TECHNICAL REASONS, WILL BE PUT UP FOR SALE AGAIN BY THE LANDS DEPARTMENT ON APRIL 18.

THE SITE IS AT ABERDEEN MAIN ROAD BETWEEN SAI ON AND WU PAK STREETS.

IT MEASURES 1 579 SQUARE METRES AND IS FOR NON-INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT.

UNDER SALE CONDITIONS, THE PURCHASER WILL BE REQUIRED TO BUILD A POST OFFICE OF NOT LESS THAN 1 009 SQUARE METRES ON THE GROUND AND FIRST FLOORS OF ANY BUILDING CONSTRUCTED ON THE SITE AND HAND IT OVER TO THE GOVERNMENT.

ALSO TO