XN000022-1986-01-13 — Page 8

MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 1986

+ DESPITE THAT, 16 REPORTS OF HILL FIRE WERE RECEIVED OVER THE WEEKEND, OF WHICH NINE OCCURRED INSIDE THREATENED COUNTRY PARKS,+ HE SAID.

MR LAU SAID THAT FOR THE PROTECTION OF COUNTRY PARKS, THE DEPARTMENT WOULD TAKE PROSECUTION ACTION AGAINST ANYONE WHO CHOSE TO IGNORE THE CLOSURE ORDER AND THE BAN.

HE WARNED THAT OFFENDERS OF THE CLOSURE ORDER WOULD BE LIABLE TO A MAXIMUM FINE OF $2 000 AND IMPRISONMENT FOR THREE MONTHS WHILE VIOLATION OF THE FIRE BAN WOULD LEAD TO A FINE OF $5 000 AND ONE YEAR'S IMPRISONMENT.

MR LAU SAID THAT WITH THE PRESENT DRY AND WINDY WEATHER CONDITIONS, THE COUNTRYSIDE VISITORS SHOULD BRING PRE-COOKED FOOD ONLY AND BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL WITH CIGARETTE ENDS,+ HE SAID.

RECORD RESPONSE TO EMERGENCY CALLS

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THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT RESPONDED TO A RECORD NUMBER OF EMERGENCIES LAST YEAR, INVOLVING 14 722 FIRE CALLS, 9 594 SPECIAL SERVICE CALLS AND 333 905 AMBULANCE CALLS.

THE NUMBER OF FIRE CALLS ROSE FROM 14 693 IN 1984 TO

14 722 IN 1985, ACCORDING TO STATISTICS RELEASED BY THE DEPARTMENT TODAY (MONDAY).

FIRES CAUSED THE DEATHS OF 29 PEOPLE AND LEFT A FURTHER 630 PEOPLE INJURED LAST YEAR.

THE LARGEST SINGLE CATEGORY OF CAUSES WAS CARELESS HANDLING OR DISPOSAL OF CIGARETTES, MATCHES AND CANDLES WHICH ACCOUNTED FOR 3 893 CALLS, FOLLOWED BY ELECTRICAL FAULT (1 717 CASES) AND OVERCOOK ING (1 450 CASES), A FIRE SERVICES SPOKESMAN SAID.

SQUATTER FIRES SHOWED AN INCREASE DURING THE PERIOD FROM 262 IN 1984 TO 368 IN 1985 WHILE FACTORY FIRES SHOWED A DROP FROM 536 TO 464.

THE NUMBER OF SPECIAL SERVICES CALLS INCREASED FROM 9 004 CASES IN 1984 TO 9 594 LAST YEAR, INVOLVING LANDSLIDES, COLLAPSES, DROWNING, TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS, GAS LEAKAGE, ETC.

HOUSE

AMONG THE CALLS, LOCK-IN CASES ROSE SIGNIFICANTLY TO 615 FROM 436 IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR.

THE DEPARTMENT'S