XN000022-1986-05-14 — Page 10

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 1986

+THE NUMBERS FIRST DECREASED AND THEN INCREASED, BUT IT IS NOTEWORTHY THAT WHILE THE NUMBER OF FIRES HAD INCREASED SINCE 1982, THE NUMBER OF FIRE VICTIMS HAD DECREASED CONSIDERABLY FROM MORE THAN 26 000 IN 1981 TO 1 260 IN 1985, + HE SAID.

+SINCE SEPTEMBER 1982, A POLICY WHEREBY VICTIMS OF SQUATTER AREA FIRES ARE REHOUSED IN THE NEW TERRITORIES ONLY HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED.

+THE DRAMATIC FALL IN THE NUMBER OF SQUATTER FIRE VICTIMS IN THE THREE YEARS FOLLOWING THE INTRODUCTION OF THIS POLICY INDICATES THE EXTENT TO WHICH IT HAS ACTED AS A DETERRENT AGAINST DELIBERATE FIRES IN URBAN SQUATTER AREAS, HE ADDED.

FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT OFFICERS INVESTIGATED THE CAUSE OF EACH FIRE, AND IN 1985 THE FINDINGS OF SUCH INVESTIGATIONS INDICATED THAT ABOUT 30 PER CENT OF SQUATTER FIRES RESULTED FROM FAULTY ELECTRICAL WIRING, 22 PER CENT FROM SMOKING MATERIALS, MOSQUITO COILS, JOSSTICKS, AND SO ON, 19 PER CENT FROM COOKING STOVES AND SEVEN PER CENT WERE SUSPECTED ARSON.

MR LIAO SAID MEASURES UNDERTAKEN BY GOVERNMENT TO PREVENT SQUATTER FIRES INCLUDED PUBLICITY PROGRAMMES, SETTING UP FIRE WATCH TEAMS AND IMPLEMENTING SQUATTER AREA IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMMES,

+STAFF OF LOCAL FIRE STATIONS PAY REGULAR VISITS TO SQUATTER COMMUNITIES TO GIVE ADVICE ON FIRE PROTECTION AND PREVENTIVE MEASURES.

+F IRE PREVENTION CAMPAIGNS ARE ALSO ORGANISED ESPECIALLY FOR SQUATTER COMMUNITIES BY THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT AND THE INFORMATION SERVICES DEPARTMENT JOINTLY.

+LOCAL FIRE WATCH TEAMS COMPRISING SQUATTER RESIDENTS ARE TRAINED BY STAFF OF THE FSD TO RECOGNISE FIRE HAZARDS SO THAT THEY MAY BETTER GIVE ADVICE TO SQUATTER COMMUNITIES, HE SAID,

MR LIAO SAID AS PART OF THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT'S SQUATTER AREA IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMME A NUMBER OF MEASURES HAD BEEN TAKEN TO MINIMISE FIRE RISKS IN SQUATTER COMMUNITIES.

+FOURTEEN SQUATTER AREAS HAVE BEEN PROVIDED WITH A LEGAL AND PROPER ELECTRICITY SUPPLY, WHICH OBVIATES THE NEED FOR TAPPING AND THEREBY REMOVES ONE OF THE PRIMARY FIRE RISKS,+ HE SAID.

OTHER MEASURES INCLUDED BUILDING FIRE BREAKS OF AT LEAST 10 METRES WIDE TO PREVENT THE SPREAD OF FIRE, PROVIDING FIXED PIPELINES FOR FIRE FIGHTING, AND IMPROVING ACCESS THROUGHOUT SQUATTER AREAS SO THAT FIREMEN CAN GET TO THE SCENE OF FIRES QUICKLY, MR LIAO SAID.

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