ENG-1997 — Page 375

PUBLIC ORDER

The Ambulance Command Training School had a very tight training schedule in the year. To cope with the increase in demand for emergency ambulance services, the school trained 156 recruit ambulancemen from April. It also ran 18 refresher and re-certification courses for 231 ambulance personnel.

In-service training was provided to 8 739 fire and 394 ambulance personnel, while 26 officers were selected to attend various overseas training programmes in the UK, USA, Canada and China. The department recruited and appointed 38 Station Officers, 10 Ambulance Officers, 22 Senior Firemen and Firewomen (Control), 295 Firemen and 158 Ambulancemen during the year.

Buildings and Quarters

In line with the government policy to provide an emergency response to all areas within minimum set times according to category of risk, the department has continued to plan and build fire stations and ambulance depots at strategic locations to cope with local developments.

During the year, the Chek Lap Kok Fire Station, Tung Chung Fire Station- cum-Ambulance Depot and Lam Tin Ambulance Depot were commissioned. The Sham Tseng Fire Station was also under construction and scheduled for completion in 1998.

The department manages 3961 quarters, of which 3 681 are for other ranks. uniformed officers. Work completed during the year included 110 new quarters at Fung Shing Street and 27 at Muk Lun Street.

Public Liaison Group

The Public Liaison Group was set up to encourage public participation in monitoring and improving the delivery of emergency fire and ambulance services. Thirty members of the public from all walks of life were randomly selected from among 153 applicants to form the group's fourth-term membership during the year.

Correctional Services

The Correctional Services Department (CSD) administers a wide range of services. for adult and young offenders, drug addicts and offenders with psychiatric problems. The services fall broadly under two programme areas prison management and re-integration into society. The CSD also manages detention centres for Vietnamese migrants (VMs) and Vietnamese illegal immigrants (VIIs).

At the end of 1997, the CSD managed 23 correctional institutions, four halfway houses, a staff training institute, an emergency support group, two custodial wards in public hospitals, and two detention centres for VMs. In all, 7 085 staff were looking after 11 463 inmates, 969 VMs, and 3 758 people under supervision after discharge from custody.

In 1997, the prison population remained high and averaged 22 per cent over the certified accommodation, with prisons for adults being the major pressure points. To cope with the perennial overcrowding problem in correctional institutions, a former military camp was converted into Lo Wu Correctional Institution, a minimum security prison. It became operational on August 4, 1997, with a certified

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