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Inter-departmental exercise to prepare for 94th INTERPOL General Assembly
To ensure the smooth staging of the 94th INTERPOL General Assembly, scheduled to be held in Hong Kong in late November this year, the Force, in collaboration with various Government departments and relevant organisations, conducted a comprehensive inter-departmental exercise on September 23 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Victoria Harbour and the West Kowloon area.
The exercise featured on-site rehearsals of the opening and closing ceremonies, and drills covering a wide range of measures and arrangements for the conference. These included security and traffic coordination for VIP attendance, simulated crowd flow management for approximately 1 000 delegates within the venue and their movement between the main and side event venues, coordinated operations at the venue command centre and stress tests of the wireless network.
The exercise also simulated a suspected biochemical terrorist attack in which an unattended backpack suddenly released an unknown gas during a cocktail reception, causing a number of people to feel unwell. Concurrently, other emergencies unfolded near the venue, prompting multiple departments and organisations to swiftly activate their emergency response mechanisms. The exercise mobilised about 3 000 personnel from various government departments and relevant organisations.
The Secretary for Security Mr Tang Ping-keung and Commissioner Chow Yat-ming observed the exercise on site. Following the exercise, Mr Tang commended all participating units for their professional performance, coordination and cooperation.
KE inter-departmental counter-terrorism exercise
On September 18, Kowloon East Region (KE) conducted an inter-departmental counter-terrorism exercise codenamed BRAVEGUARDS in collaboration with the Hospital Authority, the Fire Services Department (FSD) and the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) at Kai Tak Hospital (KTH), which will soon be put into commission. Over 300 persons participated, including KTH staff, the Kowloon East Chaoren Association and Senior Police Call members.
The exercise simulated an incident in which terrorists launched a random knife attack on members of the public and detonated an explosive device, causing the spread of chemical gas. Force officers swiftly arrived at the scene to subdue the attackers and evacuate people. Meanwhile, FSD officers tackled the source of the gas leakage and set up decontamination and triage stations.
During the exercise, participating units applied various technologies to assist in the rescue operation. The Force used drones for indoor searches and perimeter reconnaissance, and linked “iCasualty” with the FSD’s Patient Tagging System for Multiple Casualties Incident to expedite the identification and tracking of casualties. Additionally, the FSD and the EPD deployed robotic dogs to detect the concentration and diffusion of the chemical gas respectively.
NTS inter-departmental counter-terrorism exercise
On September 18, Kowloon East Region (KE) conducted an inter-departmental counter-terrorism exercise codenamed BRAVEGUARDS in collaboration with the Hospital Authority, the Fire Services Department (FSD) and the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) at Kai Tak Hospital (KTH), which will soon be put into commission. Over 300 persons participated, including KTH staff, the Kowloon East Chaoren Association and Senior Police Call members.
The Emergency Unit of New Territories South (EU NTS) held an inter-departmental counter-terrorism exercise codenamed “STORM•ARROW” at the AsiaWorld-Expo (AWE) on September 22 with the Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China; the Fire Services Department, AWE and the Hong Kong Association for Conflict & Catastrophe Medicine to prepare for the major international sports congress to be held at the end of the year.
The exercise simulated an incident and a terrorist attack involving national security and cybersecurity, as well as affecting the progress of the congress. Force officers and relevant stakeholders conducted evacuation and emergency rescue, as well as subdued the terrorists. At the same time, officers utilised technologies to enhance operational efficiency and safety, and also facilitated interdepartmental information exchange through “iCasualty”.
