Police Hong Kong Island Regional Headquarters, together with the Fire Services Department, Government Flying Service (GFS), Civil Aid Service, Home Affairs Department, Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department and Water Supplies Department, conducted an inter-departmental major incident exercise codenamed "COLDMIST " at Aberdeen Country Park this afternoon (March 27). The exercise aims to enhance the collaboration, prevention, and emergency response capabilities of Police and stakeholders.
The exercise simulated unexpected inclement weather conditions during a mountain activity, where a rainstorm caused flooding and landslides, resulting in the immediate suspension of the activity. While some participants sustained injuries during their escape, several participants were unaccounted for. Rescue teams from various departments were promptly dispatched to conduct a search and rescue operation. A joint command post and a triage station were set up at the scene to coordinate rescue efforts, testing and strengthening the planning and execution capabilities of personnel in large-scale inter-departmental rescue and mountain search operations.
Police utilised for the first time in the large-scale search and rescue exercise the emergency rescue mobile application HKSOS developed and officially launched by the Information System Wing of the Police Force in January this year. With the assistance of its patented technology Signal Radar, officers could detect the HKSOS distress signal from the mobile phones of those in need of help, even in complex terrain or areas without mobile network coverage. It facilitated search and rescue units to quickly identify the location of missing persons during mountain search and rescue operations, thereby enhancing operational efficiency and public safety.
Meanwhile, Police adopted the 3R Solution, a search and rescue solution, and deployed drones, which allowed the command post to swiftly ascertain the location of the persons awaiting rescue as well as the biometric data of the search and rescue teams. This arrangement also assisted a GFS helicopter in the search operation. Ultimately, all participants were successfully saved.
About 250 officers from various departments took part in the exercise. Police will continue to maintain close contact with stakeholders, conduct regular inter-department exercises, and review contingency plans for major incidents to strengthen coordination among different departments and organisations.
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