ENG-1981 — Page 209

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Legislation

PUBLIC ORDER

The Fire Services (Amendment) Bill 1981 was introduced and enacted and the Fire Services (Installation and Equipment) (Amendment) Regulations 1981 were made during the year.

The bill makes a number of unrelated amendments to the Fire Services Ordinance. The more important amendments being: clarification that the jurisdiction of the Director of Fire Services over vessels is limited to extinguishing such fires as may break out upon them; re-arrangements of the order of duties of the Fire Services Department to make it clear that the primary functions are to extinguish fires and protect life and property; and amendments to the disciplinary provisions of the ordinance.

The Fire Services (Installation and Equipment) (Amendment) Regulations 1981 in- creases the fines in respect of various offences under the principal regulations from $2,000 to $5,000 in each case.

Ambulance Service

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The Fire Services Department operates the government ambulance service with a strength of 1 273 in all ranks of uniformed staff, and 108 civilian employees. The service operates 159 ambulances from 13 ambulance depots or stations throughout the territory and from many fire stations. During the year a total of 253 754 calls, involving 329 060 people, were handled representing an average of 695 calls every 24 hours. This was an increase of 15.4 per cent in the number of calls compared with the total for 1980.

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Appliances and Workshops

The Fire Services Department is equipped with more than 580 modern operational fire appliances, ambulances and vehicles fitted with up-to-date fire-fighting and rescue equip-

ment.

In 1981, 72 new or replacement appliances and units of various kinds were brought into service. Among the major appliances commissioned were twelve 16-metre hydraulic platforms, three 37-metre turntable ladders, four reserve heavy pumps and 22 ambulances. To maintain the fleet of applicances and other equipment, the department operates three workshops on Hong Kong Island, in Kowloon and the New Territories.

Training

All recruits are trained at the Fire Services Training School at Pat Heung in the New Territories. The courses vary in content and last from eight to 26 weeks.

A total of 529 men successfully completed standard training, of which 21 were station officers, four were ambulance officers, 282 were firemen and 224 were ambulancemen.

The school also conducted assessment courses for firemen and ambulancemen grades for in-service appointment as acting ambulance officers (16), Ambulance Command instruc- tors' Course (12) and Fire Protection Courses for Senior and Station Officers (16).

The school also conducted basic fire fighting, ship fire fighting and breathing apparatus training courses for private organisations in Hong Kong and for the Macau Fire Brigade. Some 1 344 people attended these courses during the year.

Establishment and Recruitment

The uniformed establishment of the Fire Services Department at the end of 1981 totalled 5 482. In addition, the number of civilian staff employed by the department increased by 20 to 518.