Fire_Brigade_1952-1953 — Page 14

Winner: -Sub Officer TSE Long Ching, Fn. Dr. No. 42,

354, Fn. Nos. 170, 285, 149 and 89. Time: 2 minutes 33 seconds).

(C) TRAILER PUMP DRILL-The H.K. Chinese Godowns

Association Challenge Cup.

Winner:-Firemen Nos. 189, 62, 70 and 342. Time:

1 min. 193 seconds.)

TRAINING

37. The general training of Brigade personnel continued throughout the year. Initial training of recruits was under- taken by the Training School at Eastern Fire Station. The fire fighting staff of the civil airport under the control of the Civil Aviation Department were also trained by the Brigade in the use of various apparatus for combating aircraft fires.

AUXILIARY FIRE SERVICE

38. The Auxiliary Fire Service continues to make steady progress in strength and training. A strength of 500 members were reached towards the end of 1952 but approval for the number to be increased to 793, the total approved strength of the Auxiliary Fire Service, was withheld until after 1st April, 1953 when further recruitment was authorized to enable the full strength figure to be reached during 1953/4. Applications held in abeyance until after 1st April, 1953 have arisen to 150 firemen and 40 officers. All have been medically examined and each day brings in more applications. If the present tempo of applications continues there is every hope that the full strength will be reached before the end of 1953.

39. Owing to the number of personnel at different stages of training, it has been found necessary to extend the number of training centres to include Central Fire Station and Eastern Fire Station in Hong Kong and Kowloon Fire Station in Kowloon, thus providing better facilities for "wet" drills, ladder drills, relay pump drills, and other activities requiring space and suitable conditions. To speed up training, 15 selected officers attended an Instructors Training Class held at Eastern

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