53
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1991
ANNUAL SEARCH AND RESCUE EXERCISE STARTS
* * * * *
THE ANNUAL SEARCH AND RESCUE EXERCISE CO-ORDINATED BY THE CIVIL AVIATION DEPARTMENT (CAD) IS BEING HELD TODAY (WEDNESDAY) AND TOMORROW.
PARTICIPATING IN THE EXERCISE ARE A NUMBER OF GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS AND EMERGENCY UNITS FROM THE ASIA PACIFIC REGION.
A CAD SPOKESMAN SAID THE OBJECTIVE OF THE EXERCISE WAS TO PROVIDE TRAINING AND FAMILIARISATION FOR STAFF OF THE DEPARTMENT AND OTHER SUPPORTING UNITS IN SEARCH AND RESCUE TECHNIQUES.
"PERSONNEL FROM OTHER EMERGENCY UNITS FROM THE ASIA PACIFIC REGION LIKELY TO BE INVOLVED IN SUCH OPERATIONS WILL ALSO BENEFIT FROM THE EXERCISE, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
"
"IT WILL ALSO TEST ALERTING, CO-ORDINATION FACILITIES, HE SAID.
AND COMMUNICATION
IN ADDITION, THE EXERCISE WILL PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR OTHER DEPARTMENTS AND EMERGENCY SERVICES OF NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES TO - CO-ORDINATE THEIR PROCEDURES.
THE EXERCISE COMPRISES A SHORT-RANGE AND A LONG-RANGE SEARCH OPERATION INVOLVING FIXED-WING AIRCRAFT, HELICOPTERS AND VESSELS.
THE SHORT-RANGE EXERCISE WAS HELD THIS AFTERNOON NEAR THE NINEPIN GROUP OF ISLANDS WITH A DEMONSTRATION OF WINCHING "SURVIVORS" FROM THE SEA ONTO HELICOPTERS.
THE LONG-RANGE EXERCISE WILL BE ACTIVATED THIS EVENING, SIMULATING AN AIRCRAFT IN DISTRESS ABOUT 70 MILES SOUTH OF HONG
KONG. AIRCRAFT, HELICOPTERS AND SHIPS WILL BE DESPATCHED TO SEARCH AND LOCATE THE TARGETS IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA.
TAKING PART IN THIS YEAR'S EXERCISE ARE THE CIVIL AVIATION DEPARTMENT, MARINE DEPARTMENT, ROYAL AIR FORCE, ROYAL HONG KONG AUXILIARY AIR FORCE, ROYAL HONG KONG POLICE, ROYAL NAVY, FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT, CIVIL AID SERVICES, THE U.S. AIR FORCE, NAVY, U.S. COAST GUARD, AND THE JAPANESE MARITIME SAFETY AGENCY.
U.S.
OBSERVERS FROM NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES INCLUDING REPRESENTATIVES FROM CHINA, SINGAPORE, MALAYSIA, THAILAND AND BRUNEI ARE ALSO PRESENT.
0
/54