greatly the area of technology over which the Fire Engineer must, in public interest, direct a critical eye.
48. Within the Service, the development and maintenance of efficient preventive and protective measures demands higher standards of technical knowledge to enable the Fire Officer to discourse intelli- gently with architects, industrial chemists, engineers-physicists and management, none of whom can reasonably be expected to comply (often at considerable expense) with safety requirements, if the Fire Officer displays ignorance of their problems.
49. Throughout the world scientists and industrial chemists continue to invent materials and devise methods to outclass and out-produce competitors. All too often, the aura of secrecy which has surrounded these developments has resulted in Fire Officers being faced (following a fire or explosion) with long and laborious enquiries into the cause. 50. The foregoing factors taken together with the abnormally large increase in strength to make good deficiencies in the approved establish- ment and organization of the service, have provided training problems of considerable dimensions and variety. The greatest shortcoming experienced during the year was the lack of accommodation pending the construction of the permanent Fire Service Training School in the New Territories. Towards the end of the year the Buildings and Lands Branch of the Colonial Secretariat provided invaluable help in allocat- ing a number of buildings which can be adapted and used as temporary training establishments. There are now therefore good prospects of making some inroads into the deficiencies in training which have accumulated during the past decade.
Professional Examinations
51. 41 officers sat the annual examinations at the Hong Kong Centre of the Institution of Fire Engineers. 3 were successful in the Associate Member section and 1 in the Graduates. These additions will increase the Hong Kong Branch of the Institution to:
4 Members
12 Associate Members
17 Graduate Members
I Licentiate
66 Students
and therefore one of the largest in any Fire Brigade in the Common- wealth.
52. The Senior Professional Officers Examination which, notwith- standing possession of the Diploma of the Institution of Fire Engineers,
9
Page 15Page 16
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.