ENG-1992 — Page 333

PUBLIC ORDER

Civil Duties

The CAS is also very heavily committed in the performance of civic duties in normal times. During the year, adult volunteers help to organise and provide crowd control, communications and marshalling services in charity fund-raising activities, government campaigns and at other public functions.

Vietnamese Migrant Duties

The CAS permanent staff and volunteers are presently required to manage two Vietnamese Centres, namely the New Horizons Vietnamese Refugee Departure Centre for Vietnamese refugees who have been accepted for resettlement overseas and the Kai Tak Vietnamese Migrant Transit Centre for Vietnamese migrants who have volunteered for repatriation to Vietnam, pregnant Vietnamese women pending delivery, together with their accom- panying relatives from detention centres elsewhere and other Vietnamese migrants lodged temporarily while seeking medical treatment/advice or other facilities.

The work in the centres is both physically and psychologically exhausting. Duties are performed under demanding and difficult conditions. Much dedication and patience is required of those involved.

The CAS has been capable of meeting all demands encountered in this area thus far. CAS volunteers have been involved in dealing with the Vietnamese migrant problem since 1975 and continuously since 1988. This work will continue for the foreseeable future.

Service Training

Service training is divided into centralised courses and unit training, both of which are designed to promote and maintain the operational efficiency of the services. The centralised courses in 1992-3 embrace a wide variety of subjects. In addition to normal counter- disaster courses, first aid, fire fighting and conventional rescue instruction have been included, the aim being to train adult volunteers in disaster control and management during large-scale emergencies and at civic functions.

Overseas training was organised for both permanent staff and volunteer officers. In 1992, one officer attended the Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre in Bangkok, Thailand, for disaster management training and two officers were attached to the Royal Air Force in the United Kingdom to undergo advanced Mountain Rescue Training. A contingent of senior CAS Officers was invited to visit the Civil Defence establishment in Shanghai in April 1992 to study the disaster management technology in China.

Cadet Corps

The Cadet Corps is divided into three girl units, 24 boy units and five mixed units spread throughout the territory. Cadets enter at the age of 12 to 14 and undertake a series of training courses. Tuition includes training in basic mechanical and electrical engineering, carpentry and fibreglass moulding, printing and book-binding as well as training in photography and interior design. The cadets are also trained in countryside preservation, first-aid, crowd-control psychology, road safety, rock climbing, orienteering, expeditions and trekking. They are encouraged to participate in the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme. In 1992, four cadets qualified for the Gold Award, 20 for Silver Awards and 72 for Bronze Awards. At 18, the cadets leave the corps and may join the Adult Services.

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