Hong Kong is a lot more peaceful now than when the Civil Aid Service was born as a civil defence unit after the second world war, but the service's main mission still lies in responding to emergencies and natural disasters.
'Our members put in a lot of time and hard work during Sars,' said Hong Kong CAS spokesman Eddie Lo Wai-pan. One example of their work during that time was manning the stations that checked the body temperature of people arriving at Hong Kong's borders.
In calmer times, the CAS is probably most visible when helping to control crowds at major events - from the Lunar New Year firework displays to watching over the poll stations during last year's Legislative Council elections.
The group also conducts firefighting and search-and-rescue missions in country parks. On Sundays and public holidays, CAS members patrol the more popular park trails and assist hikers; they devoted 55,476 man hours to that alone last year.
The Hong Kong CAS' 3,634 adult members are supplemented by a nearly equally large CAS cadet corps, comprising youths aged 12-17. The CAS provides disciplinary and vocational training for cadets, who then contribute to community services and CAS duties.
