XN000022-1987-01-31 — Page 2

SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 1987

FIRE SERVICES SEEKING $95 MILLION MOBILISING SYSTEM

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INSTALLATION OF A SOPHISTICATED COMPUTER-ASSISTED MOBILISING SYSTEM BY AROUND 1990 WILL IMPROVE THE ABILITY OF THE FIRE SERVICES TO DEAL SPEEDILY AND EFFECTIVELY WITH FIRE OR OTHER EMERGENCIES.

THE HIGH TECHNOLOGY MOBILISING SYSTEM WILL COST AN ESTIMATED $95 MILLION, AND THE FINANCE COMMITTEE RECENTLY GAVE THE GREEN LIGHT TO FUNDING, ENABLING THE TENDER PROCESS TO GET UNDERWAY.

KNOWN AS THE SECOND GENERATION MOBILISING SYSTEM (SGMS), THE INTEGRATED COMPUTER AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM WILL OPERATE IN THE COMMUNICATION CENTRE AT THE NEW FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT HEADQUARTERS BUILDING IN TSIM SHA TSUI EAST.

THE CENTRE WILL LINK WITH MORE THAN 70 STATIONS OR DEPOTS LOCATED STRATEGICALLY THROUGHOUT THE TERRITORY.

IT IS VITAL FOR THE DEPARTMENT TO MAINTAIN AN EFFICIENT DESPATCHING OF SOME 700 MODERN OPERATIONAL FIRE APPLIANCES AND AMBULANCES IN ORDER TO COPE WITH THE INCREASING WORKLOAD.

THE INCREASE IN DEMAND HAS BEEN MANIFOLD.

FIRE OR SPECIAL SERVICE CALLS ROSE FROM 9 965 IN 1973 TO 24 326 IN 1985, AN INCREASE OF ABOUT 245 PER CENT.

AMBULANCE CALLS SQARED FROM 95 452 IN 1973 TO 333 905 IN 1985, REPRESENTING A RISE OF ABOUT 350 PER CENT.

SUCH DEMANDS MEAN THAT THE DEPARTMENT -- WITH A STRENGTH OF SOME 6 000 UNIFORMED OFFICERS AND MEN AND 560 NON-UNIFORMED STAFF -- - MUST BE READY TO USE THE LATEST EQUIPMENT.

+TO IMPROVE THE STANDARD OF EQUIPMENT MEANS TO PROVIDE BETTER SERVICE TO THE PUBLIC, WHICH IS ESSENTIAL WHEN SUCH SERVICE IS TO PROTECT PEOPLE'S LIVES AND PROPERTIES, + SAID THE FIRE SERVICES OFFICER WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PROJECT, MR HSU KING-PING.

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AS THE OFFICER-IN-CHARGE OF THE DEPARTMENT'S MOBILISING AND COMMUNICATION GROUP, MR HSU PLACES GREAT EMPHASIS ON THE TIME REQUIRED FOR DESPATCHING FIRE ENGINES AND AMBULANCES TO THE SCENE AS SOON AS A CALL IS RECEIVED.

+WE HAVE BEEN TRYING HARD TO ACHIEVE A ONE-MINUTE DESPATCHING TIME - WHICH MEANS THE FIRE ENGINES OR AMBULANCES ARE ON THEIR WAY WITHIN ONE MINUTE OF A CALL BEING RECEIVED,+ HE SAID.

/+THIS HAS