Press Release

CSD emergency exercise Concord XVI tests emergency response

     The Correctional Services Department (CSD) carried out an emergency exercise today (October 14) to test the emergency response of its various units in different scenarios, including mass indiscipline of persons in custody and a hostage-taking situation inside Pak Sha Wan Correctional Institution.

     Code-named Concord XVI, the four-hour exercise aimed to test the department's emergency command and communication capabilities, the implementation of contingency plans at different levels, departmental response and information dissemination.

     The Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF), the Fire Services Department (FSD) and the Government Flying Service (GFS) also participated in the exercise to test the CSD's co-ordination with these departments during requests for assistance.

     The exercise focused on a number of different incident types including mass indiscipline of persons in custody, hostage-taking and fire. More than 200 staff members of the CSD, the HKPF, the FSD and the GFS took part in the exercise.

     The CSD's Assistant Commissioner (Operations), Mr Woo Ying-ming, took command of the whole operation from the department's Central Control Centre in Stanley.

     He said the exercise enhanced the response capabilities of the department and colleagues and the effectiveness of emergency support. The exercise also improved inter-departmental communication and co-operation, increasing capability and efficiency in handling emergency crises and incidents in future.

     The CSD holds regular emergency exercises of various types in correctional institutions and at regional and departmental levels to enable staff members to become familiar with handling different incidents. The objective is to provide a safe and stable custodial environment to facilitate rehabilitation work and help maintain Hong Kong as one of the safest cities in the world.

     Meanwhile, the three-day Beijing-Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Prison Forum 2015 was held in Macau today. The theme of this year's forum was "Response Mechanism in Prisons". Participating in the forum were the Beijing Prison Administration Bureau, Guangdong Provincial Prisons Administration Bureau, Macau Prison, Hong Kong Correctional Services and the Singapore Prison Service. The Commissioner of Correctional Services, Mr Yau Chi-chiu, attended the opening ceremony and the first day of the Forum.

Ends/Wednesday, October 14, 2015
Issued at HKT 19:34

The Correctional Services Department conducted an emergency exercise today (October 14) to test the emergency response of its various units to a simulated mass indiscipline of persons in custody and hostage-taking situation inside Pak Sha Wan Correctional Institution. Photo shows the department's Central Control Centre in operation during the exercise.

Correctional Services Department negotiators try to convince the persons in custody to surrender during the exercise.

Members of the Emergency Response Team successfully control the simulated hostage-taking incident.

Delegates of the Beijing-Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Prison Forum 2015 in Macau.