Handling of unexpected incidents inside railway stations and trains
MR CHAN CHUN-YING (in Cantonese):
President, I am likewise concerned about the ability of MTRCL to handle emergencies. The main reply mentions that MTRCL conducts 12 to 15 drills in conjunction with the Hong Kong Police Force and the Fire Services Department every year. Do such drills contain any elements of dealing with terrorism attacks or other attacks? What kinds of simulated scenarios are used in such drills. Or, are such drills only ordinary fire drills and flood drills?
SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT AND HOUSING (in Cantonese):
President, the 12 to 15 drills are basically based on simulated scenarios of some specific kinds of emergencies in the past, such as fire, casualties, or train accidents. Through such scenario-based training, the relevant staff can learn how to get quick rescue for trains and the passengers on board, and how to arrange evacuation afterwards. They can also learn how to put out fire and coordinate the support of other transportation modes in case of fire or other emergencies. The contents of the drills are about these things mainly. But of course, if the Police see any need to introduce more security elements to certain segments of the drills (e.g. counter-terrorism attacks elements), they may make suggestions. Arrangements will then be made to accommodate these suggestions and add in the appropriate elements in the design
of scenarios.