TERRORIST DRILLS (Safety measures)

TERRORIST DRILLS

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(Safety measures): **

1.

Assoc. Prof. Ong Soh Khim asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs with regard to terrorist drills to be held during peak hours where the public will not be pre-warned, (a) what measures will be put in place to prevent stampedes, especially of young children and senior citizens who may be weak; and (b) who will be held responsible should fatalities happen during these drills.

Mr Wong Kan Seng: The public will be pre-warned of an emergency exercise so that they are mentally prepared. We are mindful that any surprise emergency exercise involving large numbers of the public may lead to unnecessary panic and anxiety. Prior to an exercise, there will be publicity to give an indication of when the exercise would take place and what the public should expect. On the day of the exercise and just before the exercise commences, signs are put up and announcements are also made to assure the public that an exercise is being conducted and that there is no need to panic. Staff are deployed to guide, answer queries, and to explain the situation to members of the public who are affected by the exercise and who may not have understood the announcements. In addition, safety officers are deployed to look out for the safety of the public and to prevent accidents. Teams of paramedics and ambulances are also put on standby to respond to any injuries.

The question of whether anyone would be responsible should there be a fatality during an emergency exercise depends on whether there is any negligence in the conduct of the exercise or the actions of the officers involved. The public can rest assured that every precaution will be taken to guard against this during the planning and execution of the exercise.

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