No_6_1955 — Page 21

TRAINING CENTRE FOR C. A. S.

Architect: G. D. Su, Esq.

TIT

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Photograph of the new building on Argyle Street.

The history, organisation and activities of the Civil Aid Services were outlined by Mr. C. G. M. Morrison, the guest speaker at the weekly luncheon of the Rotary Club, Hongkong Island West on the 15th July, 1955 He said:

and women at any of the catastrophes to present strength being in the region of which Hongkong is only too subject.

Being a disciplined body with officers and N.C.O.'s corresponding in ranks with

those of the other services, the members can be deployed rapidly at the scene of an incident. They can turn out with the

are formed from local residents.

over 2,000 members. The chief Warden is Lt. Col. H. Owen-Hughes, O.B.E., E.D.. who has a fine record of public service in the Colony. It is important that members operate in the vicinity of

thus their homes and the Wardens are organised on a Regional Basis in 15 Zones

Members who change their residence are automatically transferred from Zone to Zone.

In 1949. the series of major disasters which were affecting the well-being of the minimum of delay because zonal groups covering the whole of the Urban area.

populace and the political situation ren- dered it imperative to recreate a force of

I have stated that C.A.S. is a collective the nature of the pre-war A.R.P., but it title for a group of services and I should was wisely decided that this rebirth should therefore like to Fun through the con- be on a different basis. Civil Aid now stituent parts. means aid both in peace and war, and

the emphasis is on peace. Members are First and foremost there is the Wardens always prepared to assist their fellowmen Service, which is by far the largest, the

The canteen on the ground floor.

I have stressed the fact that Wardens must be familiar with their zones and this is linked up with their primary function which is "Reconnaissance and Reporting.'

After the despatch of a report it would of course, be ridiculous for the Wardens in the Post to sit around twiddling their thumbs and waiting for the arrival of specialist services and it is for this reason that all Wardens are trained to a limited extent in the principles of First Aid, Fire Fighting, and Light Rescue. They ali know how to apply a tourniquet, operate a stirrup pump, and lower a stretcher with ropes. They are all handymen and women and in addition they are trained to control traffic, cordon off dangerous areas, and reassure and comfort the re- sidents. They also are required to send a series of more detailed reports to the Command Post dealing with such matters as trapped victims, numbers of injured, possibility of unexploded missiles and damage to public services such as gas, electric and water mains.

It is obviously pointless to write reports unless there are efficient Control Centres where these reports can be sifted and from which appropriate orders can be issued to the remedial services. Apart from reports

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