EXERCISE NORTHSTAR V (Assessment)

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EXERCISE NORTHSTAR V:

(Assessment): The following Question stood in the name of Mdm Halimah Yacob -

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5. To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs (a) whether in his assessment Exercise Northstar V has met its objectives in (i) helping Singaporeans to be better prepared in the event of a terrorist attack; (ii) ensuring that our emergency response system works; and (b) whether such an exercise will be conducted regularly.

Mr Yeo Guat Kwang (Aljunied): Question No. 5.

The Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs (Assoc. Prof. Ho Peng Kee) (for the Minister for Home Affairs): Mr Speaker, Sir, the recent Exercise Northstar V was conducted primarily to test the coordination and validate the emergency response system of the 22 participating agencies, including the two public transport operators, namely, SBS Transit and SMRT Corporation. The exercise successfully met this key objective. It was the first time an emergency exercise was conducted on such a scale involving our public transport system.

Effective coordination was achieved amongst the emergency responders, the public transport operators, the hospitals, and other home-front agencies. For instance, officers from the SCDF and Singapore Police Force were able to swiftly respond to mock casualties, set up cordons and first-aid stations at the affected MRT stations and bus interchange, and manage the crowd. For the first time, we tested the setting up of a Family Assistance Centre, to assist family members of victims or those who have gone missing and believed to have been affected by the incident.

An additional objective was to familiarise Singaporeans on the steps to take should they be affected by such an attack. That Sunday, more than 3,000 commuters who were onboard the MRT trains when the simulated blasts went off, were guided by MRT staff through the

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evacuation drill. In all, about 10,000 commuters were affected by the disruption to the MRT system and had first-hand experience which would come in useful in the event of a terrorist attack occurring under such a scenario.

Sir, public feedback on the exercise has been generally positive. Indeed, the public support the need for more of such emergency exercises.

Going forward, even though the 22 participating agencies did well there are still many areas for improvement. Agencies will now conduct smaller-scale exercises, either on their own or involving a smaller group of relevant agencies to stress-test their responses as part of a larger emergency response system. When ready, we may conduct another large-scale exercise. When we do this, we will remain mindful of the impact and inconvenience to the public and will take these into consideration when planning the exercise.

Sir, we are mindful that it is unrealistic to expect Singaporeans to become better prepared for a terrorist attack after one or two large-scale emergency exercises. For this reason, SCDF will continue to work with grassroots and business groups to hold regular emergency exercises to enable the public and employees to familiarise themselves with essential emergency drills. I take this opportunity to urge all Singaporeans to be involved in these exercises. Better still, treat emergency preparedness as a way of life so that not only are we physically prepared, but also mentally prepared as well.