Fire_Services_1961-1962 — Page 18

Anti-narcotic drive

55. With the appointment of two departmental 'anti-narcotic officers', twelve firemen have voluntarily requested treatment. Most of them apparantly sought help because of their inability to continue pay- ing for the drugs. Reports from Commanding Officers indicate that only a very small percentage of the Service is addicted.

PREVENTION AND INSPECTION DIVISION

56. The division inspected 14,059 premises during the year. Apart from routine inspections in connexion with the enforcement of various Ordinances, goodwill visits are made and complaints of illegal storage of dangerous goods or the obstruction of staircases and fire escapes are examined.

57. Prosecutions under the Dangerous Goods Ordinance, the Mis- cellaneous Licences (Timber Stores) Ordinance, and the Celluloid and Cinematograph Film Ordinance resulted in fines being imposed totalling $73,700 compared with $34,035 in the previous year. A detailed sum- mary of inspections is shown in Appendix III.

58. For the convenience of the public and to avoid the problem of renewing all licences on 1st April, the possibility was examined of issuing licences for twelve months instead of requiring their renewal on a statutory date. It is probable that fees, introduced ten years ago, will have to be revised as they now bear little relation to the costs involved in their collection.

59. In a series of instructions issued by the Director, a paper has been released, designed to determine the causes of fire with greater accuracy and so encourage more effective fire prevention publicity. An analysis of the causes of fire is given in Appendix VII.

60. 720 plans for new buildings were examined during the year. The importance of this work was demonstrated by the fact that three- quarters of the plans were returned to the architects for modification. Notices on fire prevention, printed in both English and Chinese have been distributed as a guide to the department's requirements. Emphasis was given in these notices to laws governing the storage of dangerous goods. Prosecutions frequently appear to have little deterrent effect and a great deal of effort must be made in educating the public into an awareness of the dangers involved.

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